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Business Recorder
8 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Over 58,000 Pakistanis deported from various states since 2023
ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel was informed on Tuesday that more than 58,000 Pakistanis have been deported from various countries since 2023, with a significant number facing repatriation on charges related to beggary and immigration violations. Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis, the Interior Ministry officials revealed that 5,600 deportees were expelled specifically for beggary from Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. The committee, chaired by Zeeshan Khanzada, reviewed data submitted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistani diplomatic missions abroad. According to the Director General of Passports and Immigration, Mustafa Jamal Kazi, many Pakistani citizens had overstayed their visas while travelling for religious pilgrimages to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq. Kazi disclosed that around 34,000 Pakistanis were deported from Iran last year, while nearly 50,000 were sent back from Iraq. He also pointed to a growing trend of asylum seekers, with approximately 125,000 Pakistanis applying for asylum in European countries during the last one year. The committee raised concerns over the increase in deportations due to fake documentation and beggary, noting that such incidents have damaged Pakistan's international image and strained relations with brotherly countries in the Gulf and Middle East. Interior Ministry officials confirmed that the names of deportees have been placed on the Passport Control List (PCL), and in some cases, their passports have been cancelled in an effort to curb this trend. However, Senator Shahadat Awan, a member of the committee, objected, arguing that cancelling passports for offences committed outside Pakistan's jurisdiction may not be legally justified. The committee further inquired about the Interior Ministry's action against Overseas Employment Promoters (OEPs) suspected of facilitating illegal or exploitative migration. Officials revealed that 1,460 deportees had travelled through 691 OEPs. Show-cause notices have been issued to those implicated, and the panel has recommended initiating criminal proceedings against the promoters involved in sending individuals abroad for beggary or with falsified documents. Zamir Hussain Ghumro, another member of the panel, questioned what steps the ministry has taken to prevent such crimes, which he said have brought shame to the country. The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development informed the committee that 7,873 Pakistanis were deported between 2019 and 2025, with 1,064 of those cases linked to beggary. The panel has also sought a breakdown of 5,000 deportees who travelled on work permits or visit visas to evaluate the involvement of employment agents. In a separate briefing, the managing director of the Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) presented updates on economic diplomacy initiatives aimed at promoting the export of skilled labour. He said that approximately 10.3 million skilled Pakistani workers are currently employed overseas. The OEC has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with 18 countries, with an additional 15 under negotiation. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Fake visa travellers face action
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration unit detained four passengers at the New Islamabad International Airport for attempting to travel to Lithuania using counterfeit resident cards. According to a spokesperson for the crime agency, the passengers, all brothers from Jhelum, were offloaded and taken into custody after their documents raised suspicion during immigration checks. The incident occurred during the check-in process for flight J2144, bound for Baku, Azerbaijan. The travellers intended to proceed to Lithuania after reaching Baku. Upon inspection, immigration officials found the Lithuanian resident cards to be fake.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Express Tribune
FIA arrests Italy-bound fake resident card holders
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration Unit at New Islamabad International Airport detained seven passengers attempting to travel to Italy using fake resident cards. An agent allegedly facilitating their journey was also arrested on the premises. According to officials, the incident occurred during the briefing for flight J2144 bound for Baku, Azerbaijan. Six passengers from various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Rawalpindi, along with their facilitator, Muhammad Haroon, approached the immigration counter. Upon inspection, their travel documents were found to be counterfeit. The detained passengers were identified as Muhammad Sher, Salman Khan, Muhammad Haris Khan, Waliullah, Ehtesham Sharafat, and Sameenullah. During initial questioning, they were unable to explain the purpose of their trip to Baku. Authorities later discovered that all seven individuals were related and had been provided with fake Italian resident cards by an agent named Shakirullah, who was also present at the airport. An FIA team conducted a raid inside the concourse hall and arrested Shakirullah. During searches, counterfeit Italian resident cards and Turkish visas were recovered from the passengers. Muhammad Haroon had arranged the Azeri and Turkish visas, intending for the group to use them as a stepping stone to enter Europe.
Deccan Herald
26-05-2025
- Deccan Herald
Pak university student gets 2 years and 6 months in jail for learning how to make bombs on social media
Lahore's ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill also imposed a fine of PKR 50,000 on Hannan Abdullah, a human resource studies student of the University of Narowal in Punjab, who was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in 2022 on the charges of seeking information about making bombs at a social media networking site in Iraq.
Express Tribune
25-05-2025
- Express Tribune
FIA arrests human trafficker from Taftan
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested from Balochistan a key member of a racket involved in human trafficking as part of its ongoing crackdown against human smugglers. According to a statement issued by the FIA spokesperson on Saturday, the alleged trafficker, identified as Iftikhar Hussain, was taken into custody by the FIA anti-human trafficking circle from the Taftan area of Chagai district which shares borders with Iranian province of Sistan Baluchestan. The arrested suspect, the FIA said, is a key member of an organized human smuggling gang and has been involved in illegally sending citizens abroad through unauthorized routes. "The suspect has unlawfully facilitated the travel of several individuals to foreign countries. Action against him was taken based on a tip-off. "He was found involved in placing fake FIA immigration stamps on passengers' passports. Several passports and mobile phones were recovered from his possession. Further investigation into the matter has been initiated," the spokesperson added. Meanwhile, the FIA Faisalabad Zone on Saturday also arrested a man involved in human trafficking and visa fraud. The suspect, identified as Umar Irfan, was arrested during a raid in Sahiwal. According to the FIA, he had been wanted since 2018 for scamming people by promising jobs abroad. He allegedly took over Rs1.1 million from innocent citizens by offering fake overseas employment and demanding illegal payments.
