Pakistani travellers holding valid visas, airline tickets and hotel bookings are increasingly being stopped at airports by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for what officials call “profile checking,” raising serious concerns over transparency, legality and human rights.
According to multiple accounts, passengers are intercepted at the immigration counter and directed to another desk for background verification. However, people who have been through this verification process say that the officials assigned for this task do not have authorised access to key databases such as the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) or the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), making the process questionable and arbitrary.
Travelers questioned how FIA staff, without access to official records, could determine whether someone is a legitimate traveller or a potential over stayer. It remains unclear whether the practice is backed by any official notification from the Interior Ministry, or if it is being carried out at the discretion of individual officers. No public circular or government directive has been made available so far.
The controversy deepened after recent images went viral showing the interior minister and the minister for overseas Pakistanis personally checking passports at Lahore airport — a move seen by observers as symbolic and unprofessional. Many questioned the expertise of politicians performing immigration scrutiny instead of focusing on policy and oversight.
An insider claims the crackdown stems from a UAE request regarding criminals and a verbal order from the interior minister to prevent bad press from overseas arrests
Critics warn that handing such unchecked authority to lower-grade officials is risky and could open doors for harassment, manipulation and corruption. “If an 11-grade officer decides who travels and who doesn’t, without proper data or policy guidelines, you are creating a system ripe for extortion and abuse,” said a traveller at Islamabad airport.
Among those affected is Mr Butt—who asked to be identified only by his last name—a general manager of finance at a reputable organisation who recently travelled to Baku. He described the experience as “humiliating and degrading.”
“I was asked to get my profile checked by an FIA lady who had no manners, no skills, and did not seem trained. Even an elderly man on a wheelchair was sent for the same pointless process. What message are we sending to the world?” Butt said.
He added that a woman travelling to France was also stopped despite having all valid documents. “If this is how people are treated at Islamabad airport, imagine what happens at smaller airports,” he said.
He added that, frustrated and unsure of what would happen next, he was forced to call a personal contact stationed at the airport for help. Within minutes of that call, the officials allowed him to continue his journey — without conducting any profile verification at all. According to him, the entire episode exposed how the so-called security process could be bypassed through influence rather than legitimate checks, showing that ordinary travellers without contacts are at a greater risk of harassment, delay or extortion.
A senior government officer, who requested anonymity, shared a similar incident involving a traveller heading to the UAE who was told he must present an affidavit signed by a grade-18 officer confirming he would return to Pakistan.
“This is absurd and damaging. Why should any government official take personal responsibility for another citizen’s travel intentions? What if the person never comes back — will the officer be held accountable?” he said.
He further argued that immigration control is the responsibility of the country being visited. If a Pakistani arrives abroad with forged papers or incomplete documentation, it is the host nation’s immigration system that will deal with the situation. “So why is the FIA blocking travellers who have already secured legitimate visas and fulfil all formal requirements?” he questioned.
He said it has now become a daily occurrence, as videos shared by travellers on social media show passengers with valid visas and tickets being stopped at the airport — all without any official circular or notification that we are aware of
Passengers and legal experts are now demanding official clarity:
— Who authorised this policy?
— What criteria are being used for profiling?
— Why are trained officers and digital checks not utilised?
A very senior FIA official, speaking to his correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said that a few months ago the UAE government shared a list of 12 heinous crimes such as murder, rape, human trafficking, drug trafficking etc. and requested Pakistan to prevent individuals involved in those offences from traveling to the UAE. He said the interior minister subsequently convened a meeting and verbally instructed officials that anyone with an FIR registered against them—whether in Pakistan or anywhere else in the world—should not be allowed to leave the country.
He added that when Pakistanis travel abroad and end up getting arrested or losing their lives in incidents such as the Greece boat tragedy, the airport officials who cleared their departure face intense scrutiny. This, he explained, is why airport staff often try to discourage passengers they suspect may not return.
He acknowledged that the situation has created opportunities for extortion but argued that, in the absence of any formal mechanism, officials have no other way to block passengers who bring a bad name to the country.
Since the FIA does not have a designated spokesperson, I was advised to contact the Chief of Staff to the Director General. However, despite my repeated attempts over two days, I was unable to reach Abdul Qadir Qamar. His staff informed me each time that he was not in the office, and I was therefore unable to obtain his office’s version
As Pakistan works to improve its global image, travellers say the system needs transparency, professionalism and dignity — not intimidation.
“If the state wants to stop human smuggling, it must modernise systems, not humiliate its own citizens,” said a retired bureaucrat.
For now, travellers continue to depart with tickets in hand — and fear in mind.