(Publish from Houston Texas USA)
(Brig Sadiq Rahi, Sitara E Imtiaz (Military),Retired)
(An Analytical Examination of Off-Loading, Harassment, and Corruption Faced by Outbound Pakistani Travelers)
For a country like Pakistan—heavily dependent on foreign remittances, foreign employment, and the global mobility of its labour force—the airport is not merely a point of departure. It is the first interface between the Pakistani citizen and the world beyond. It is also, symbolically, the point where the state either treats its people with dignity or subjects them to humiliation. In recent years, however, a disturbing pattern has emerged: large numbers of Pakistani passengers are reportedly being off-loaded without clear justification, harassed during immigration procedures, and, in many cases, asked for illegal payments to “clear” their documents or “resolve” arbitrary objections raised by airport officials.
This alarming practice has triggered intense public backlash, generated viral videos on social media, and raised significant questions about the functioning, accountability, and integrity of airport-based law enforcement institutions—particularly the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). More significantly, it has far-reaching consequences for Pakistan’s economy, international reputation, and the trust relationship between citizens and the state.
This article offers a detailed analytical examination of the issue, its implications, and the structural reforms needed to resolve it.
Understanding the Problem: Off-Loading and Harassment at Pakistani Airports
Pakistan’s immigration officers have legal authority to question passengers, verify travel documents, and prevent departure when there is a legitimate, documented reason—such as forged documents, criminal warrants, court orders, or verified human-trafficking concerns. However, reports increasingly indicate that many passengers with valid visas, confirmed jobs abroad, legal travel histories, and complete documentation face unnecessary questioning, prolonged detentions, and, in numerous cases, unlawful off-loading.
Compounding the problem is the emergence of informal demands for attested documents from a Grade-18/19 gazetted officer—a requirement for which no formal, publicly available government notification exists. Many travelers claim that this vague requirement has become a new tool for extracting bribes or creating intentional hurdles.
These experiences, though individual in occurrence, collectively reflect a broader pattern of systemic inconsistency, discretionary abuse, and absence of accountability.
The Broader Impact: Why This Issue Is Nationally Significant
Pakistan receives over USD 38 billion in annual remittances, constituting one of the largest global inflows for any labour-exporting country. Millions of Pakistani families depend on the income sent by workers in the Gulf, Europe, and beyond. More importantly, the Pakistani economy—struggling with chronic fiscal deficits, foreign exchange shortages, and external debt repayments—relies overwhelmingly on these remittances for stability.
In this context, any disruption to the mobility of outbound workers is not merely an administrative issue; it is a national interest issue.
The impacts of harassment, unjust off-loading, and bribery can therefore be grouped into several domains:
- Economic Impact: A Direct Threat to Pakistan’s Foreign Exchange Lifeline
a. Decline in Remittances
When passengers are off-loaded arbitrarily after investing heavily in visas, tickets, and employment contracts, many lose jobs permanently. For some, it takes months to secure another opportunity; for others, the chance never returns.
Even a small percentage decline in Pakistani labour migration could mean hundreds of millions of dollars in lost remittances—something a fragile economy like Pakistan’s can ill afford.
b. Worsening Poverty and Unemployment
Most outbound travelers belong to low- to middle-income families. A single successful worker abroad financially supports multiple households. When that opportunity is destroyed at the airport, the collapse is not individual—it ripples across families, neighborhoods, and entire communities.
c. Increased Informal Costs
Harassment encourages corruption. Passengers who are desperate not to lose jobs may fall prey to illegal demands, increasing the “cost of migration,” which already burdens Pakistan’s poorest workers. This damages Pakistan’s position in global labour export markets.
- International Reputation: Pakistan’s Image at Stake
Airports are global spaces. When incidents of harassment circulate through social media, foreign governments, international airlines, and global employers take notice. Pakistani passengers being treated harshly or humiliated at their point of departure sends a damaging message:
Pakistan’s systems are unpredictable.
Pakistani labor cannot travel reliably.
State institutions lack professionalism and transparency.
Countries competing with Pakistan—like Bangladesh, Nepal, and India—benefit from such negative perceptions because employers naturally prefer stable, predictable labour-sending nations.
If not addressed, Pakistan risks being labeled as a high-risk jurisdiction for labour recruitment, which would reduce job opportunities abroad and further weaken remittance inflows.
- Social and Psychological Impact: The Dignity Deficit
For any human being, the airport is a place of vulnerability. Travelers are anxious about connections, flights, luggage, or new jobs abroad. Off-loading and harassment deepen this anxiety and create lasting psychological scars.
a. Humiliation of Citizens
A traveler who has legally obtained a visa, completed documentation, and purchased an expensive ticket expects fair, respectful treatment. Humiliation at the hands of state officials destroys that expectation.
b. Loss of Trust in State Institutions
When the citizen experiences the state not as a protector but as a barrier, the trust deficit widens.
This mistrust spills into society and erodes the social contract between citizen and state.
c. Stress, trauma, and fear
Many passengers report sleepless nights before traveling, fearing unpredictable behavior at the airport rather than at their destination.
- Administrative and Institutional Impact: The Cost of Discretionary Power
a. Lack of Uniform SOP Implementation
Different airports and even different shifts of staff apply different rules. One officer may demand unnecessary stamps or attestations while another may ignore them entirely. Such inconsistency encourages corruption and weakens institutional credibility.
b. Misuse of ‘discretion’
When the law gives officers the power to stop passengers on suspicion, abuse becomes easy if checks and balances are absent. “Suspicion” can become a tool for coercion.
c. Weak Accountability Mechanisms
Internal inquiries often remain opaque, disciplinary actions are rare, and few cases result in meaningful action. Without consequences, misconduct continues unabated.
- Impact on Foreign Employment Opportunities
Employers abroad, especially in the Gulf, track the reliability of labour-exporting countries. When Pakistani workers repeatedly miss joining dates due to off-loading, employers may switch to other labour sources.
Countries like Bangladesh , Nepal and India have aggressively expanded their share in the Gulf labour market precisely because of higher reliability, streamlined processes, and supportive migration policies.
If Pakistan does not address airport harassment, it risks losing market share in sectors such as:
construction
transport
hospitality
caregiving
manufacturing
skilled and semi-skilled trades
This loss will be expensive and difficult to reverse.
- Corruption Networks: A Dangerous Parallel System
Harassment and unnecessary questioning create a “demand” for facilitation, which then leads to informal payments. Such practices:
strengthen corruption networks
weaken professionalism
demoralize honest officers
make rules irrelevant, and
embed illegal practices into institutional culture
In short, corruption becomes systemic, not incidental.
Why Does This Happen? Structural Causes
- Lack of Clear Public SOPs
If passengers don’t know the rules, officials can manipulate them freely.
- Discretion without oversight
Officers can off-load passengers without providing written justification, giving them near-absolute power.
- Weak institutional monitoring
CCTV exists, but real-time monitoring is rare.
- Absence of passenger rights education
Most travelers do not know what is legal, what is allowed, or when they can challenge an officer’s decision.
- Poor training and public-dealing culture
Some officials lack the skill or temperament to handle anxious or vulnerable passengers.
Policy Recommendations: How to Fix the System
- Written Justification Mandatory
No passenger should be off-loaded without a written, signed, and documented reason.
- Uniform SOPs at all airports
Standardization removes space for harassment and eliminates informal practices.
- Remove unnecessary requirements
If no official notification exists, demands such as Grade-18/19 attestations should be outlawed.
- Strengthen oversight
Independent monitoring teams should evaluate airport performance.
- Professional training for staff
Officers must be trained in public dealing, international migration law, and service ethics.
- Public complaint mechanisms
A rapid-response hotline and grievance cell should be available, with guaranteed action within 24 hours.
- Parliamentary oversight
A Senate or National Assembly committee should review airport misconduct cases periodically.
Conclusion: A National Imperative
Airport harassment and unjust off-loading are more than administrative nuisances—they strike at the heart of Pakistan’s economic survival, international standing, and citizens’ dignity. The nation’s most hardworking segment—the overseas Pakistani community—contributes billions of dollars annually in remittances, supports the rupee, stabilizes the economy, and sustains millions of families back home.
For their sake, and for Pakistan’s long-term national interest, airport corruption and arbitrary behavior must end.
Pakistan cannot afford to treat its greatest economic asset—its overseas workforce—as an inconvenience at the airport gate. Ensuring transparency, dignity, and professionalism at airports is not an administrative luxury. It is an economic necessity, a moral obligation, and a test of the state’s commitment to its citizens.
