The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration on Wednesday refuted claims of travel restrictions at Karachi airport, asserting that travellers from all provinces were departing smoothly without any obstruction.
The agency “rejects such claims as no such ban is in place,” said a spokesperson in Karachi, rejecting claims of discrimination against passengers from Punjab and other provinces.
The spokesperson explained that immigration checks and profiling had been made more effective only in specific cases. “This step has been taken purely to protect innocent citizens from the agent mafia,” the official stated.
The officials detailed that agent mafia used to misguide people to travel to a foreign country and then board them on ships.
According to FIA officials, individuals travelling abroad for the first time — especially those not belonging to Sindh — undergo additional verification before departure.
“Passengers who offer satisfactory explanations and proper documentation face no difficulty,” the spokesperson assured.
They added that the policy applies particularly to those who choose Karachi airport over their nearest airports. Such travellers are asked to clarify their choice of departure point before being cleared.
Sources told Geo News that 57 passengers were offloaded from a flight, including 35 Umrah pilgrims and 22 holding employment visas. It also emerged that the immigration officials refused to stamp their passports.
The officials said that the outgoing travellers from other provinces would need clearance before departing from the Karachi airport.
“An individual who does not travel abroad and does not belong to Sindh will be stopped,” they said, adding that the people from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and other provinces will undergo extra screening.
Elaborating on the travel policy, the immigration officials said that the passport holders from Punjab will have to choose nearby airports for their first-time journey.
