LHC seeks comprehensive report from FIA on offloading of passengers

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday directed the Director of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Lahore, Ali Zia, to submit a detailed and comprehensive report explaining the legal procedure, powers and policy governing the offloading of passengers at airports

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Jul, 2026) The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday directed the Director of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Lahore, Ali Zia, to submit a detailed and comprehensive report explaining the legal procedure, powers and policy governing the offloading of passengers at airports.

Justice Farooq Haider passed the directions while hearing petitions filed by Shazim Ali and other citizens challenging restrictions on their travel abroad and their offloading at airports. The court adjourned further hearing of the case until July 27.

During the proceedings, FIA Lahore Director Ali Zia appeared in person and explained the reasons for preventing certain citizens from travelling abroad and offloading them at airports.

Justice Farooq Haider observed that the issue of FIA stopping citizens from travelling abroad was repeatedly coming before the court. He said it was necessary for the agency to present a clear policy and its complete position before the court so that a permanent solution could be found.

The court observed that issuing visas and passports was not within the FIA's jurisdiction, while verification of educational credentials for study visas fell within the domain of the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The FIA's role, the court noted, was primarily to examine travel documents, visas and passports.

The court remarked that if a citizen possessed a valid study visa and complete travel documents, it would not be appropriate to offload the person merely on the basis of permanent residence or other arrangements.

The judge further observed that actions that raised questions about Pakistan and its institutions could not be accepted. He said unnecessarily offloading citizens despite their having valid travel documents undermined public confidence, adding that travelling abroad was a legal right that could not be unnecessarily restricted.

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The FIA director told the court that 11,351 people had travelled abroad on visit visas from Lahore alone, with several of them subsequently deported from different countries. He said the repeated deportation of Pakistani citizens damaged the country's reputation, prompting the FIA to take precautionary measures to prevent further embarrassment.

He said parents often spent their life savings on sending their children abroad on study visas, and the FIA also regretted the deportation of students. He added that the large-scale return of Pakistani nationals from certain countries had led to stricter scrutiny of Pakistani travellers there.

Ali Zia further informed the court that many people travelled abroad on visit visas after being lured by fake or illegal agents with promises of employment. Malaysia was among the countries from which a large number of Pakistani nationals had been sent back, he said.

The FIA official maintained that genuine study visa holders who fulfilled all legal requirements were not stopped from travelling. However, he said, cases involving lengthy gaps in education or other suspicious circumstances sometimes required further scrutiny.

He added that some individuals travelled abroad on Pakistani passports and subsequently stayed there illegally, which also affected the country's reputation. Around 8,000 to 10,000 passengers travelled abroad from Lahore airport every day, he said.

The LHC directed the FIA Lahore director to submit at the next hearing a comprehensive report covering the legal procedure for offloading citizens, the relevant powers and authority, the applicable policy, statistics and reasons for preventing passengers from travelling abroad.

The court adjourned further proceedings until July 27.