Islamabad, December 17,2025: A meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis was informed on Wednesday that 51,000 passengers were offloaded at Pakistani airports this year after failing immigration checks, with a significant number stopped at Lahore and Karachi airports.
The meeting, chaired by Aga Rafiullah, was told that the offloading followed a nationwide crackdown on migrant smuggling launched after the 2024 Greece boat tragedy, which claimed the lives of several Pakistanis. In recent months, multiple incidents have been reported in which travellers were offloaded despite holding valid travel documents, prompting public concern.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a committee to investigate the frequent offloading of passengers from international flights, particularly cases involving travellers who claim to possess complete documentation.
Briefing the committee, Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Riffat Mukhtar Raja said passengers are offloaded after document verification, data checks and online authentication. He told lawmakers that of 66,000 passengers offloaded this year, 51,000 were stopped by the FIA due to insufficient or unverifiable documentation.
“Many passengers lack complete information regarding their courses, universities or employment abroad,” Raja said, adding that in several cases individuals attempt to travel through agents using incomplete or incorrect details.
The committee was informed that 180 FIA officials involved in corruption had been dismissed from service. Raja said all major airports had been linked to NADRA’s online database to strengthen immigration controls and stressed that no passenger was cleared under political influence or VIP pressure.
He added that surveillance cameras have been installed at immigration counters, with monitoring carried out from a central control headquarters. “The immigration system is also using artificial intelligence to identify suspicious cases in advance,” he said.
According to the FIA, most offloaded passengers belonged to visit, Umrah and work visa categories. During the current year, around 8.5 million Pakistanis travelled abroad, while 226 cases were registered for various offences. Over the past three months, 450 people were arrested while attempting to cross into Iran illegally.
Raja further disclosed that several Bangladeshi nationals were caught attempting to travel to Europe via Pakistan. “Bangladeshi citizens travelling on Pakistani tourist visas were intercepted while heading to Europe,” he said.
The committee was also told that 287 people were deported last year and 170 this year for using fake documents, while 24,000 Pakistanis accused of begging were deported from Saudi Arabia during the current year.
Saudi investment, employment opportunities
Secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry informed the panel that investment worth $1 trillion is expected in Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030, creating significant employment opportunities.
“If we provide better training to our skilled manpower, Pakistan can benefit substantially,” he said, adding that 451,000 Pakistanis travelled to Saudi Arabia last year, while more than 500,000 have gone during the current year.
Chairman Aga Rafiullah criticised the performance of the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission, saying it was “not functioning at all” and that temporary measures were being taken instead of permanent solutions.
Committee member Muhammad Ilyas Chaudhry questioned the provision of drivers to community welfare attachés in Europe, noting that more than 50 per cent of them had been assigned drivers despite being Grade 17–18 officers, and asked whether the ministry was aware of the associated costs.
Earlier this month, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said no passenger with complete travel documents was being stopped from travelling, but those carrying incomplete or bogus documents would not be allowed to depart. In November, the FIA reiterated that offloading only occurred in cases of invalid documentation or suspected links to migrant smugglers and said legal action had been initiated against those spreading false information on social media regarding the issue.
