Resolution urges reforms while travelers with valid documents report denied boarding
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan’s National Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution calling on the government to investigate the unloading of passengers with valid travel documents at airports across the country.
The resolution was proposed by Pakistan People’s Party lawmaker Agha Rafiullah, who pointed to a growing number of incidents in which travelers were denied boarding despite having valid tickets and identification.
It urges the government to carry out a thorough investigation into these cases and introduce administrative reforms to ensure transparency, accountability and protection of passenger rights. The resolution also emphasizes the need for better communication so that decisions to deny travel are legal, properly documented and clearly conveyed to passengers.
The president of the National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq, put the resolution to a vote and it was adopted without opposition.
The resolution also calls for giving legal effect to decisions that restrict passenger travel, underlining the need for clear rules and standard procedures at airports.
Read: Prime Minister calls for stricter immigration controls and protection for legal travelers
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has already taken note of reports of passengers being offloaded while traveling abroad and ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the matter.
Officials said the committee will include representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). It has been tasked with proposing a new mechanism for foreign travel and recommending ways to harmonize the protective seal system internationally.
In recent months, multiple reports have accused the FIA of unloading passengers at various airports even though they had valid travel documents. According to these reports, visa holders for Greece, Italy, Poland and Baku have been prevented from traveling.
Hundreds of Pakistanis with full visas and documents have also complained that they are being forced to repeatedly visit the offices of the Protector of Emigrants, but their documents are not “secured” for travel.
Read more: Government panel to investigate unloading of travelers
Some travelers say they were told that “higher orders” prohibit document protection for those traveling abroad for jobs such as farm workers, drivers or cleaners. In previous cases, passengers traveling to perform Umrah or work in Dubai were also blocked on suspicion.
The FIA has dismissed the allegations as rumours. In late November, Captain (retd) Ali Zia, FIA Lahore Zone Director, issued a detailed clarification in a video message, saying that certain elements were using AI-generated videos and images to create an impression that passengers were being unloaded for no reason.
However, passenger testimonies suggest the problem may be more widespread. Some travelers say that even those who paid visa fees in dollars, pounds or euros are now unable to travel to Europe, without being provided with written orders and citing only verbal instructions from officials at protective offices across the country.
