Islamabad, Feb 17: In a significant crackdown on illegal activities, at least 47 Pakistani nationals were deported from Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, and seven other countries in the past 24 hours. Immigration sources revealed that the deportations were due to various allegations, including illegal activities and other charges.
Among those expelled, six Pakistanis were deported from Saudi Arabia for drug trafficking charges. Four others were sent back from Azerbaijan after being labeled as “unpleasant” individuals by the local authorities. Additionally, four Pakistani nationals attempting to enter Malaysia and Iraq illegally were also returned to Pakistan. Deportations also took place from Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, with two Pakistani nationals being expelled from each country, according to immigration reports.
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At Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, 30 Pakistani passengers were offloaded from flights. Among them, 14 pilgrims bound for Saudi Arabia for Umrah were intercepted due to issues with their hotel bookings and insufficient funds for their trip. Two passengers traveling to the United Kingdom and Azerbaijan were also offloaded, along with 14 individuals planning to work in Iraq, Malaysia, Iran, and other destinations.
In a related incident, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) detained five Pakistani nationals who had arrived at Karachi’s airport from Mauritania. According to an FIA spokesperson, the detainees hailed from Hafizabad, Gujranwala, and Swat. The individuals had paid between Rs 2.5 million to Rs 3.5 million to travel illegally to Europe. They initially traveled via Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, but refused to take the illegal sea route to Europe upon arrival in Mauritania. They chose to return to Pakistan instead.
The detainees have been transferred to the Anti-Human Smuggling Circle for further investigation. The FIA Karachi Zone Director stated that authorities are closely scrutinizing travel documents and taking action against human traffickers and their facilitators. This crackdown follows the FIA’s recent directive to intensify screening procedures nationwide to combat human trafficking and illegal immigration.
