ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi launched a strict crackdown on visa agents exploiting travelers during an unannounced visit to Islamabad International Airport. He said passengers with genuine documents must not be stopped from travelling abroad.
“No passenger with complete and valid documents should ever be stopped,” Naqvi said in a post on X, adding that anyone attempting to travel with fake or unverified papers would not be allowed, as such acts harm Pakistan’s reputation.
The minister warned that “agent mafias playing with people’s futures for money will face zero tolerance.”
Naqvi also responded to a passenger complaint from November 7 about understaffed immigration counters, ordering a review of CCTV footage to investigate the matter.
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The move comes as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has intensified operations against illegal migration following several interceptions at major airports involving forged documents and suspected insider help.
On Sunday, immigration officers at Islamabad airport stopped Muhammad Usman, who tried to travel to Europe on an Umrah visa.
Officials said he had been deported from Italy earlier this year, and a search of his phone revealed a tampered resident card. In a separate case, an Afghan national was intercepted using a fake Greek resident card.
Earlier this month, Naqvi and Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain visited Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport.
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During their visit, officials reported cases where passengers attempted to travel abroad illegally with inside help. One passenger was stopped from leaving as a driver due to an invalid licence despite having “Protector” clearance. Minister Hussain ordered a review of the Protector verification system.
Naqvi warned that illegal travel would not be tolerated and ordered strict action against any FIA officials involved in aiding such activities.
Following these directives, FIA Director General Riffat Mukhtar Raja dismissed three officials, including an inspector and a sub-inspector, and penalized four others for misconduct and defective investigations.
