LAHORE, July 29: The immigration officials are at a loss to understand how can they execute the orders of the FIA director-general to stop young women from travelling with cultural troupes to the Middle East, as the laws do not have any such provision.

FIA Director-General Mohib Asad has directed the immigration authorities across the country to stop women from accompanying the cultural troupes to the Middle Eastern countries, especially Dubai, as they indulge in 'objectionable' activities there.

The decision has reportedly been taken on complaints of the foreign governments and Pakistani expatriates that a large number of young women (from Pakistan) visited these countries on the pretext of participating in the cultural shows, but they got themselves involved in activities that cast a slur on the country's image.

A senior FIA official told Dawn on Thursday that implementation of the orders would be difficult for them because there was no legal cover to justify the action. Under the immigration laws, a person travelling on fake or tampered documents should be stopped. However, the FIA assistant-director (legal) said any person leaving the country for abroad to 'entertain' someone could be stopped under the Human Trafficking Ordinance.