Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that no passenger carrying complete and valid travel documents will be offloaded, while directing authorities to speed up immigration procedures and eliminate unnecessary delays at airports.
Mohsin Naqvi made a surprise visit to Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, where he inspected immigration counters and reviewed arrangements for passenger processing.
The interior minister spoke with immigration staff and passengers to assess waiting times. Passengers informed him that immigration had taken around 30 minutes and called for improved arrangements to make the process faster and more convenient.
Taking immediate notice, Naqvi directed airport authorities to keep all immigration counters operational to reduce waiting times and facilitate passengers.
During the visit, a passenger complained that an agent had taken money from him. Naqvi referred the matter to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director and ordered the agent’s arrest.
Naqvi also instructed FIA officials to prevent passengers with incomplete travel documents from travelling and ordered strict action against those attempting to use fake documents.
However, he made it clear that passengers possessing complete and valid travel documents must not be stopped or offloaded from flights.
The interior minister said modern technology had made immigration procedures easier and stressed the need to further improve the system to ensure passengers face no unnecessary inconvenience.
Earlier, the federal government unveiled the National Immigration Policy 2026, aimed at promoting safe, orderly, and dignified migration for Pakistanis travelling abroad, strengthening workforce skills, and protecting the rights of migrant workers.
Announcing the policy in Islamabad, Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain said the initiative reflects the government’s renewed commitment to every Pakistani seeking opportunities overseas.
“The global labour market is changing rapidly, and countries are competing to attract skilled workers. Pakistan must prepare its workforce to meet future demands,” the minister said.
He added that the new policy would help equip Pakistani workers with internationally recognised skills and improve their competitiveness in global job markets.
The policy focuses on enhancing vocational training, ensuring the protection of migrant workers’ rights, and creating a more structured migration system to help Pakistanis secure better employment opportunities abroad.
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