Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of reports regarding passengers being offloaded from international flights despite holding valid travel documents and visas. A high-level committee has been constituted to investigate the matter and review existing procedures related to overseas travel.
The committee is headed by Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik and includes Federal Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Minister of State for Overseas Pakistanis Muhammad Awn Chaudhry. Senior officials, including the heads of the Pakistan Digital Authority and the National Information Technology Board, along with the secretaries of Overseas Pakistanis and IT and the Additional Secretary Interior, are also part of the panel.
Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NADRA, and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have been included in the committee. The panel has been tasked with proposing a new mechanism for individuals travelling abroad and recommending international-level harmonisation of systems related to protector stamps. The committee is expected to submit its report to the prime minister within three weeks.
Over the past few months, multiple reports have emerged accusing the FIA of offloading passengers at airports across the country despite complete visas and valid travel documents. Visa holders for destinations including Greece, Italy, Poland, and Baku have reportedly been stopped from travelling, while hundreds of Pakistanis have been directed to repeatedly visit Protector of Emigrants’ offices without their documents being protected.
According to affected travellers, verbal instructions are being cited to block travel for individuals seeking employment abroad as agricultural experts, drivers, and cleaners, with no written orders issued. Although the FIA has dismissed these claims as rumours and attributed some reports to AI-generated content, testimonies indicate that even travellers who paid visa fees in foreign currencies are being prevented from flying, with Protector offices nationwide reportedly acting on the same unwritten directives.
