The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has officially denied social media rumors about passenger offloading at Lahore airport. Authorities confirmed they only stop travelers with incomplete or illegal documentation while facilitating all legitimate passengers.
FIA Lahore Zone Director Captain (retd) Ali Zia stated clearly that “no passenger is being offloaded at Lahore airport.” He emphasized that immigration authorities cannot stop any traveler possessing complete and legal documents.
The official explained that the FIA specifically stops passengers attempting to travel abroad through illegal means after proper profiling. He revealed some concerning patterns, including passengers using women as shields and presenting fake company documents.
Read: UAE Halts Visas for Pakistani Passport Holders, Narrowly Averting Full Ban
This clarification comes amid a government crackdown on human smuggling networks. The increased vigilance follows several tragic boat capsizing incidents that killed numerous Pakistanis attempting illegal migration.
In a significant development, Lahore’s Jamia Naeemia has issued a religious edict declaring illegal travel methods as unlawful under both civil law and Shariah principles. The decree also condemns agents who profit from endangering citizens’ lives.
These developments occur against the backdrop of increasing Pakistani asylum seekers abroad. According to UK Home Office statistics, Pakistanis became the top nationality among asylum applicants in 2024-25, with 11,048 people representing 10.1% of total applications.
This marks a significant increase from the previous year when Pakistan ranked third with 7,003 applicants (7.5% of total).
The FIA has requested the public to disregard social media rumors, stating that “unrest is being deliberately created” through false information about passenger offloading.
