ISLAMABAD: The interior ministry has decided that Pakistanis deported for committing crimes overseas would face travel bans for five years and criminal cases.

The decision was taken on Saturday during a meeting chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Interior Secretary Agha, FIA DG Riffat Mukhtar Raja and Passports DG Mustafa Jamal Qazi attended the meeting.

It was noted that the alleged involvement of Pakistanis in criminal activities overseas, especially in the Gulf countries, has been a source of embarrassment for the government over the past few months.

The UAE authorities increased the scrutiny of Pakistanis arriving in the country due to their alleged involvement in crime and unlawful activities, such as begging. The country also made police verification mandatory for Pakistanis applying for a visa.

The deportees would be placed on the Passport Control List (PCL) for five years. The PCL, commonly known as the ‘Black List’, is a system used to monitor and restrict the travel of individuals based on security or legal reasons. It is managed by the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports.

Official says only those who commit crime abroad will face punitive action

The interior minister said no leniency would be shown towards the deportees who were “causing embarrassment for Pakistan at the international level”.

An official told Dawn that the existing passports of the deportees would be cancelled, and they would be placed on the PCL to make them ineligible to get a new passport for five years.

He made it clear that people deported for overstaying visas would not face punitive action.

The government also aimed to penalise Pakistanis involved in beggary overseas.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2025