Islamabad: Authorities in Pakistan removed two passengers from a flight after suspecting they were attempting to use an Umrah visa as a route to enter Europe, with the Federal Investigation Agency initiating further action.
A FIA spokesperson said that immigration staff took action at Multan Airport during routine screening of outbound passengers. Two Pakistani nationals – Sikander Alam and Noor Islam – were heading to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. However, the initial probe raised suspicions, prompting officials to refer them to secondary screening for detailed profiling, Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn reported.
During further probe, the officials found Moroccan visas affixed to the passports of Alam and Islam. After questioning, Sikander Alam and Noor Islam said that their actual destination was Spain instead of Saudi Arabia.
The FIA officials said the latest case aligns with recent alerts issued by FIA headquarters about the rising cases in which people try to use Umrah visas as a cover to enter Europe illegally through Morocco.
After the findings, both passengers were offloaded from the plane and taken to the FIA Composite Circle in Multan for further probe.
In January, a report detailed an incident involving two Pakistani individuals trying to travel to France on forged credentials. Uncovered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) at Islamabad International Airport, it exposed a nexus between immigration fraud, abuse of official authority in Pakistan and the continuous challenge of illegal migration.
“While it initially involved two individuals attempting to travel to France on forged credentials, the implications extend well beyond a routine interception at an airport. The case points to deeper institutional vulnerabilities and raises serious questions about governance, accountability, and the misuse of public office within a key regulatory authority,” an editorial in Pakistan-based Business Recorder detailed.
The case involved the alleged involvement of a senior tax official at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), who is accused of facilitating fraudulent French visit visas by exploiting the authority of his position and the credibility of a crucial government department. By portraying themselves as FBR employees and claiming to be part of an official delegation, the suspects tried to hide their plans in bureaucratic legitimacy.
The fabricated email exchange they showed at the airport, apparently between a Gmail account and an official-looking FBR email address, with the subject referring to meetings and a visit to the European Parliament — demonstrating an attempt to avoid a probe by Pakistani authorities and foreign embassies, the editorial in the Business Recorder mentioned.
When the individuals were asked for verification, they did not provide any formal travel authorisation, evidence of employment, or official correspondence from the FBR. Further analysis of their travel itinerary, including a same-day Paris to Barcelona trip, contradicted their stated purpose of the visit and indicated their intention to stay in Europe and seek asylum.
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Caption: Security officers stand guard at Karachi airport following an attack by militants in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi, on June 9, 2014. At least 23 people were killed, and several planes were reportedly damaged as a group of heavily armed militants stormed at Jinnah International Airport, southern Pakistan’s Karachi on late Sunday night. (Xinhua/Arshad/IANS)
–IANS
