The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has taken disciplinary action against 85 of its officials over the past year for abusing their authority and engaging in corrupt practices related to immigration, as revealed in a report submitted to the Senate.
This development arises amid increasing concerns about immigration procedures at Pakistan’s airports, with records showing that at least 132 passengers were offloaded from their scheduled flights nationwide during 2025 following complaints.
Islamabad International Airport recorded the highest number of offloadings with 62 cases, followed by Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport with 54, and Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport with 32. Additional incidents were reported at airports in Multan, Faisalabad, and Sialkot.
The FIA’s Directorate of Internal Accountability has implemented stringent measures against personnel involved in unjustified passenger offloading or collusion with human traffickers. Investigations completed in 2025 confirmed that 85 officials had misused their official powers, leading to formal penalties.
Among the allegations against immigration staff were serious charges including extortion, physical abuse, and bribery. In one prominent case at Lahore airport, officers reportedly extorted Rs500,000 from a passenger. Another case involved 15 individuals travelling abroad on valid work visas who were wrongfully offloaded.
The report highlighted that many complaints stemmed from passengers being repeatedly denied boarding after refusing to pay bribes demanded by FIA personnel.
In response, the FIA defended its actions by stating that many complainants lacked the necessary travel documents. The agency asserted that most offloading decisions were legally justified, citing reasons such as insufficient funds, absence of confirmed hotel reservations, missing bureau of emigration protector stamps, or incomplete educational certificates. Some travellers also failed to demonstrate a clear and verifiable purpose for their journey.
Passengers affected by these issues were advised on how to complete their required documentation, enabling several to eventually travel successfully.
To reduce future complaints, the FIA announced that travellers could seek guidance from deputy directors’ offices before and after departure. A dedicated facilitation desk has also been established at the Faisalabad Zonal Office to assist passengers.
This parliamentary briefing follows a significant Lahore High Court ruling that prohibits immigration authorities from restricting citizens’ fundamental right to travel abroad based on vague suspicions or unsubstantiated grounds.
