The federal government has taken notice of recent incidents involving Pakistani workers being offloaded at airports despite possessing valid work visas and protector certificates. Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, chaired a high-level meeting to address the issue. Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Riffat Mukhtar, also attended the meeting and briefed the participants on the situation.
During the meeting, the Federal Minister expressed concern over reports that several Pakistani workers were offloaded at different airports without valid justification. He emphasized that overseas Pakistanis play a vital role in supporting the country’s economy through foreign remittances and deserve respect and facilitation at all levels. The Minister directed the FIA to ensure that no work visa holder is offloaded unlawfully and instructed for immediate resolution of the matter.
Director General FIA Riffat Mukhtar informed the meeting that such incidents were reported at Lahore and Karachi airports. He said that inquiries have been initiated and any official found responsible will face strict disciplinary action. The DG clarified that the FIA has not imposed any new conditions for travelers with work visas, nor introduced any requirement for affidavits from government officers. He added that a new digital immigration system is being developed to streamline the process and allow workers to complete immigration formalities online before departure.
The Federal Minister said that in order to prevent such incidents in the future, the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, in coordination with the FIA, is preparing new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). These SOPs will ensure transparency and accountability in the immigration process for workers traveling abroad.
The meeting was also attended by Secretary Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis Nadeem Aslam Chaudhary and representatives from the Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association, who assured full cooperation in resolving the issues faced by overseas workers.
