Five Pakistani nationals were deported from Sharjah after authorities detected fake United Kingdom visas during their attempted travel. The individuals — identified as Waqar Anjum, Tayyab Iftikhar, Ali Shan, Malik Zaheer, and Malik Zeeshan — were taken into custody upon arrival at Lahore Airport. According to the FIA spokesperson, all five had earlier travelled legally from Lahore to Malaysia on visit visas before attempting to proceed to the UK using forged documents allegedly arranged by agents.
The FIA stated that after completing their stay in Malaysia, the suspects tried to fly from Sharjah to the United Kingdom but were intercepted when immigration officials identified the visas as fake. Sharjah authorities immediately deported the group to Pakistan, where they were handed over to the FIA Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Lahore. Investigations into the agents involved and the forgery network are underway.
In a separate incident, FIA Immigration detained a Pakistani passenger, Muhammad Abdur Rehman, who attempted to use an Umrah visit as a cover for illegal travel to Europe. Abdur Rehman had travelled to Jeddah last month with his mother on flight PK-714, where he performed Umrah and later received a passport and a Spanish residence card from his cousin.
According to the FIA, after his mother returned to Pakistan, Abdur Rehman travelled to Baku on December 3, 2025, on an Azerbaijan visa arranged through his cousin or agent. From there, he attempted to travel to Italy using the identity and documents of another man, Junaid Ali. His plan collapsed during transit in Istanbul, where immigration authorities identified him as an impostor, arrested him, and deported him back to Pakistan.
Upon his arrival, FIA Immigration detained him and launched an inquiry, which revealed misuse of travel documents, impersonation, and an attempted illegal entry into Europe. The FIA confirmed that profiling of young Umrah travellers, particularly those accompanied by female family members, has been tightened to prevent similar attempts. The detainee has been handed over to the FIA Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Lahore for further legal action.
