ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis residing abroad who hold an invalid, expired or cancelled National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) will no longer be allowed to board flights to Pakistan, official sources said on Wednesday.

According to official sources, the government has issued immediate directives to all zonal directors of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to convey the decision to every airline operating inbound flights to Pakistan.

A government official told Dawn that the practice of allowing travel on invalid NICOPs had been going on for a long time and that it had been decided to stop it with immediate effect.

“Airlines should be instructed to verify the validity of NICOPs prior to boarding and refuse carriage to any passenger presenting an invalid, expired or cancelled NICOP,” the official said.

He added that passengers travelling on a foreign passport with an expired or otherwise invalid NICOP would not be allowed to board flights to Pakistan unless they held a valid Pakistani visa.

The official clarified that the decision was not country-specific and would apply to travellers arriving from all countries.

Meanwhile, a senior FIA official said the law regarding valid travel documents was already in place and the latest directive was aimed at strict enforcement.

He said the decision had also been conveyed to all immigration check-posts to ensure uniformity.

The official added that the move would bring travel regulations in line with other state services where an expired CNIC or NICOP leads to suspension of banking, SIM, and property rights.

“The FIA has been tasked with monitoring compliance at airports to ensure airlines implement the verification requirement before boarding,” he said.

While the move for stricter enforcement has generally been welcomed, many believe that the government should ensure faster renewal services at Pakistani missions abroad.

“Many Pakistanis only realise their NICOP has expired when they’re at the airport,” said Muhammad Riaz Chaudhary, a Pakistani settled in Heidelberg, Germany.

“The government should provide an emergency extension or expedited renewal to avoid genuine hardship,” he observed.