Two more held in Afghan e-visa scam

FIA says scam poses serious threats to national security

RAWALPINDI:

The Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) Anti-Human Trafficking Circle claimed on Tuesday to have arrested two more suspects, including an Information Assistant at the Press Information Department (PID), in connection with facilitating the illegal issuance of Pakistani e-visas to Afghan nationals, bringing the total number of arrests to four.

Islamabad FIA officials are already continuing its crackdown on suspects involved in human smuggling and visa fraud. Following the arrest of two Afghan nationals, two additional suspects have now been taken into custody.

Among those arrested is Nadir Rahim Abbasi, an official from PID holding the post of Information Assistant and currently posted in the Admin section. The other suspects include Azizullah Afridi, Mohammad Atif Ahmad, and Ahmad Zaib. Notably, Mohammad Atif and Ahmad Zaib are Afghan nationals residing illegally in Pakistan.

According to FIA officials, preliminary investigations suggest the suspects were facilitating the unlawful issuance of Pakistani e-visas with the collusion of other government and private sector individuals. A two-day physical remand has been secured for the suspects, and further investigations are ongoing.

The FIA officials further stated that raids are underway to arrest other accomplices linked to the case. The FIR also names Samiullah Afridi, an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and agent Malik Muneeb, both of whom remain at large, with ongoing efforts to apprehend them.

The scandal also reportedly involves certain officials from the Ministry of Interior (MoI), whose names have surfaced in connection with facilitating the e-visa process.

The FIA officials emphasised that anyone found involved in this illegal racket would be brought to justice and made to face the full force of the law.

One of the arrested suspects, Atif Ahmadzai, an Afghan national from Nangarhar province, was found to be running an online travel agency that facilitated e-visa applications using fraudulent means, including forged sponsorships, bypassing formal financial channels and using hawala/hundi methods for fund transfers.

The gang provided urgent tourist visas within 24 to 48 hours for $750 (with 80% allegedly pocketed by Ministry of Information employees).

They also offered other visa categories such as 10-day tourist visas, medical visas, and business visas, each for $350.

The network reportedly met in areas surrounding Islamabad, including G-8, and had set up a streamlined process for Afghan nationals to acquire Pakistani documents without security vetting. Innocent sponsors were unknowingly implicated, while legitimate visa applicants were deprived of their rights.

The scheme, according to the FIA, not only violated immigration protocols but also posed a significant threat to national security by potentially allowing terrorist elements to gain entry into Pakistan unchecked.