The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis on Tuesday took strong notice of a decision by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to make the attestation of a Grade-18 official mandatory for Pakistanis travelling abroad.

The ministry’s focal person, Ghulam Mustafa Malik, told Dawn that Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain called the move “unacceptable”.

“Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain has expressed reservations and said that no such decision will be accepted that will cause difficulties for overseas Pakistanis in travel,” Malik said.

“Although human trafficking is a big problem, it would be appropriate to avoid any move that would cause travel difficulties for overseas Pakistanis and the workforce going abroad for employment.”

Malik stated that the ministry has sent a clear message that the government is serious about protecting citizens’ fundamental rights and that no institution “will be allowed to impose unnecessary restrictions on public freedoms”.

“Now all Pakistanis who have a valid Protector Certificate will be able to travel abroad without hindrance and with peace of mind,” the focal person stated.

Overseas Pakistanis are important contributors to the economy through foreign remittances. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said last month that overseas workers’ remittances witnessed an increase of 8.41 per cent during the first quarter (July-September) of fiscal year 2025-26.

On a year-on-year basis, the SBP said workers’ remittances went up by 11.33pc in September to $3.183bn from $2.859bn during the same month last year.