By Our Correspondent
GUJRANWALA —The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered a case against multiple officials of the Sialkot International Airport, including immigration officers, traffic assistants, and airline staff, for allegedly facilitating the travel of individuals using forged documents.
The FIR, numbered C-687/2024, was lodged on September 25, 2024, following a detailed inquiry that uncovered serious irregularities in passenger processing.
According to the FIA report, the incident began on December 14, 2023, when an imposter, carrying the passport of passport no JB1986561 with an altered picture, managed to board a flight from Sialkot International Airport to Milan, Italy, via Doha.
The passenger was reportedly assisted by a traffic assistant at the airport, and processed by an FIA Immigration’s FC and shift incharge SI. When the imposter was later deported by Doha Immigration authorities, he arrived back in Sialkot on December 16, 2023, where he was again processed by the same officials without a thorough verification.
A similar incident took place on April 2, 2024, when another individual named used a forged passport no CE9899084 to depart for Montreal, Canada. The FIA report highlights that this passenger was processed by an FC and shift incharge SI. Upon deportation by Doha authorities for using a “forged Pak passport,” he returned to Sialkot on April 3, 2024, where the entry remarks on his check sheet were reportedly altered to “entry refused” instead of indicating the use of a forged passport by arrival shift incharge ASI and counter user FC.
According to the FIA, investigations completed on August 21, 2024, revealed that several officials allegedly facilitated these imposters in both departure and arrival procedures. Additionally, the traffic assistants at the airport, and supervisor for Qatar Airways, were implicated in aiding the unlawful departures.
The original passport holders had already traveled abroad and had not returned to Pakistan by the time of the incidents. As a result, the case also involves charges against the imposters who used their passports for illegal travel.
The FIR includes charges under sections 17/18 of the Emigration Ordinance (E.O) 1979, and multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence), 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged document as genuine), and 5(2)47 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).
The Director of FIA Gujranwala Zone authorized the registration of the case against the accused officials, while the role of additional agents and other FIA officers remains under investigation. Inspector Rana Asif Nadeem has been assigned to lead the ongoing probe.
FIA officials emphasize that the matter is being handled with the utmost seriousness, as these acts pose a significant threat to the integrity of Pakistan’s travel and immigration processes. Further action will be determined based on the findings of the ongoing investigation.
