VERY little about the way the FIA has handled this matter has been reassuring. Seemingly without any formal announcement or warning, its officials recently started deplaning or denying boarding to passengers travelling abroad.

When affected citizens started to raise a hue and cry on social media, the agency, instead of clarifying its position or explaining the rationale behind its actions, which were allegedly causing losses to the tune of hundreds of thousands to affected travellers, initiated a sweeping crackdown on social media accounts through the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, accusing them of “systematic and baseless propaganda” that was intended to spread “provincial hatred”.

It seemed like a bit of an overreaction. If the FIA felt that it was justified in its campaign to prevent suspicious individuals from travelling abroad, then it need only have issued an explanatory statement to dismiss the “propaganda”. Most of the reasons eventually provided seemed understandable, even if not reasonable. These could have been shared earlier so that travellers were also better prepared.

The FIA has said passengers were only being denied boarding if they had incomplete or fraudulent travel documents, had provided “suspicious or unclear information”, or if they were suspected of “being under the influence of human traffickers or illegal agents”. The first reason seems reasonable enough to the extent that a traveller’s basic documents, like visas and passports, must always be in order.

However, the other reasons provided are less so, especially as they are not referenced to any hard rules or laws and seem open to interpretation. What is ‘suspicious’ or ‘unclear’ information? What does “being under the influence of human traffickers” even mean?

Unless some rules are established and publicised, the agency would be well-advised to proceed with caution. It must not harass travellers based on mere suspicion. Not every individual will come up to its standards of an ‘ideal traveller’. Those who do not, should not be treated as criminals.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2025