ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has assured that no passenger possessing “genuine and complete documents” will be prevented from travelling abroad, following growing concerns over travellers being offloaded from flights in recent months.
During a visit to Islamabad International Airport on Saturday, Naqvi met passengers to hear their concerns and ordered immediate measures to address reported issues at immigration counters. He also announced a strict crackdown on visa agents exploiting vulnerable travellers.
The minister said he had taken “serious notice” of a passenger complaint filed on November 7 about low staffing at immigration. He directed an urgent inquiry and ordered a review of CCTV footage.
“No passenger with genuine and complete documents should ever be stopped from travelling,” the minister said in a post on X. “But those attempting to travel on fake or unverified documents will not be allowed under any circumstances, as such actions damage Pakistan’s reputation.”
Warning that “agent mafias” were endangering people’s futures for financial gain, Naqvi said such networks would face “zero tolerance”.
His comments come amid heightened scrutiny following a nationwide crackdown on migrant smuggling after the 2023 Greece boat tragedy, in which many Pakistanis died. Since then, reports have surfaced of passengers being denied boarding despite holding valid travel papers.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), however, has rejected claims of indiscriminate offloading, saying only passengers with incomplete, suspicious, or unverifiable documents are stopped.
FIA Lahore Zone Director Ali Zia said immigration authorities cannot stop anyone travelling with legitimate documents.
He added that some travellers attempting to go abroad illegally “use women as shields” or present documentation from fake companies, prompting additional checks. The agency has also initiated action against individuals spreading false information on social media regarding offloading incidents.
Pakistan has intensified efforts to curb human smuggling amid rising numbers of citizens attempting irregular migration routes.
The UK Home Office recently reported that Pakistanis made up the highest number of asylum applicants in the UK in 2024–25, with 11,048 applications — accounting for 10.1% of the total.
Authorities maintain that while legitimate travellers will face no obstacles, those engaging in or facilitating illegal migration will be dealt with strictly.
