The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has uncovered an illegal immigration network allegedly involving a senior FBR official. The officer is accused of helping Pakistani nationals travel to France under false pretences.
According to the FIA, two passengers, Muhammad Kamran and Aamir Shahzad, were stopped at Islamabad International Airport while attempting to travel to France on visit visas. An FIR has been registered against the accused.
During immigration clearance, the passengers claimed they were FBR officers travelling as part of an official delegation. They presented a hard copy of an email allegedly sent by Second Secretary FBR, Atiq ur Rahman Chaudhary, which mentioned a visit to the European Parliament and the Paris Chamber of Commerce.
Upon verification, the passengers failed to provide any official documentation, including travel authorization, nomination orders, or employment proof. FIA officials confirmed that they were not government officers nor part of any sanctioned delegation.
Investigations revealed that the senior FBR official, Atiq ur Rahman Chaudhary, facilitated the issuance of French visit visas by falsely portraying private individuals as FBR staff. He allegedly misused his official position and FBR email account to support fraudulent visa applications.
Forensic analysis of mobile phones recovered from the passengers showed records of other individuals, visa updates, and documentary evidence of payments. Financial investigations revealed that millions of rupees were transferred to the accounts of the senior FBR official for arranging illegal visas.
The FIA said the officer systematically facilitated illegal migration under the guise of government travel and received substantial illegal monetary benefits. The agency has recommended a comprehensive verification process with the FBR and urged scrutiny of visit visas issued by foreign missions.
Authorities aim to identify other beneficiaries and facilitators of the scam and to prevent misuse of official positions in the future.
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