Airport offloading incidents spark outrage

Allegations of inexperience, negligence and administrative indifference within the immigration wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) at the New Islamabad International Airport have surfaced following two separate incidents in which Pakistani passengers were allegedly offloaded from international flights despite possessing valid travel documents and visas.

According to complaints raised by the affected passengers, not only junior immigration staff but also senior administrative officials allegedly failed to address the matter appropriately. The incidents involved two Pakistani citizens travelling separately to South Africa and Türkiye, both of whom claim they were prevented from boarding despite having complete legal documentation.

Passengers accused FIA immigration officials of humiliating behaviour and refusing to provide satisfactory explanations for the offloading decisions.

Efforts were made to obtain a response from Deputy Director Immigration at New Islamabad International Airport, Hina Munawar, as well as the FIA spokesperson, but no official statement was issued despite repeated requests for comment.

One passenger, identified as Shehzad Gondal, recorded a video at the airport which later circulated widely on social media. In the footage, he states that he possessed a valid South African visa for travel from Islamabad to Cape Town, along with confirmed hotel bookings, a return ticket reportedly worth Rs550,000, and approximately 1,500 US dollars for travel expenses.

Gondal claimed he had travelled extensively over the past 20 years and had multiple visas and travel records on his passport. However, he alleged that FIA immigration officials offloaded him without providing a clear justification, repeatedly stating that South Africa had imposed restrictions preventing Pakistani nationals from travelling on newly issued visas.

Questioning the rationale behind the decision, the passenger stated that if South Africa had granted him a visa after charging the required fee in dollars, then any decision regarding deportation should rest with South African authorities rather than Pakistani immigration officials.

He further complained that despite prolonged waiting and repeated requests, he was denied a meeting with the deputy director, who allegedly refused to see him from inside her office. Gondal appealed to the Interior Minister and the Director General of the FIA to take notice of the incident and ensure justice.

In another recent case, a businessman identified as Abrar, reportedly involved in the metals trade, alleged that he too was offloaded from a flight at Lahore airport. According to the passenger, immigration staff objected after noticing a TikTok video from a travel agent appearing on his mobile phone screen.

Abrar claimed he repeatedly offered to allow officials to inspect his phone and verify whether he had any contact or communication with agents involved in illegal immigration, but alleged that no attention was paid to his explanation.

He stated that after travelling to Islamabad and obtaining verification of his travel documents from an FIA office, he again attempted to depart internationally from Islamabad airport, but was once more denied permission to travel.

He further alleged that an FIA immigration official tore up his boarding card, despite his repeated pleas to return it so that he could at least seek a refund for his airline ticket.

Despite repeated attempts to contact FIA immigration authorities regarding the complaints and the widely circulated passenger videos, no formal response had been issued at the time of filing this report.