RAWALPINDI: The Federal Investigation Agency’s immigration staff arrested five passengers travelling abroad at Islamabad International Airport on Sunday.

The scope of the investigation has also been expanded to include the involvement of Nadra and passport officials, a FIA spokesman said. The FIA spokesman added that the passengers were travelling to Hong Kong on a visit visa when they were stopped from departing by immigration staff.

The passengers included Bushra, Amjad Ali, Alizeh Shaheen, Muhammad Adnan, and Zeeshan Ali Khan.

He stated that passenger Amjad Ali was the biological son of female passenger Bushra, while attempts were made to send other passengers abroad by posing as her children.

Initial investigations suggest that passengers Alizeh Shaheen, Muhammad Adnan, and Zeeshan Ali are not the biological children of Bushra.

The FIA reported that the families of these passengers paid Rs15 million each to an agent who manipulated Nadra records to forge their identities.

The agent received a substantial sum and added the three children to Ijaz Ali’s family record, listing them as his children. The records also showed the addresses of the three passengers as Swabi.

According to the investigation, Alizeh Shaheen, Muhammad Adnan, and Zeeshan Ali hail from Sargodha, Attock, and Khushab.

An inquiry was also conducted involving a Pakistan Airports Authority official suspected of facilitating passengers at the airport. The FIA confirmed that information was gathered regarding the individuals involved in contacting the Pakistan Airports Authority official.

The passengers have been transferred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Islamabad for further legal proceedings.

The scope of the investigation has further expanded concerning the involvement of NADRA and passport officials, the FIA spokesman added.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2025