FACT CHECK: Is Affidavit verified by Grade 18 Govt Officer required for Travelling abroad?

ISLAMABAD – Pakistanis passengers witnessed massive offloading at airports and viral reports claiming that those traveling abroad for work must submit an affidavit verified by a Grade 18 or 19 government officer.

Amid viral buzz, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) clarified that no such rule exists. Passengers who have been offloaded at airports were found lacking proper work visas or the mandatory Protector of Emigrants stamp, which has long been required to prevent human trafficking and illegal employment.

Social media and some digital outlets recently sparked panic with claims that the FIA imposed shocking new rules, such as that any Pakistani traveling abroad for work must now submit an affidavit certified by a Grade 18 or 19 government officer, or face being offloaded at the airport. But a thorough fact check reveals the alarming reports are completely misleading.

FIA spokesperson cleared the air that there was no such notification or policy requiring a senior officer’s affidavit. If such a rule existed, it would create chaos at airports daily.

So why are travelers being offloaded? Experts say the root cause is incomplete legal documents for work visas, not any mysterious new affidavit requirement.

For years, Pakistani citizens traveling abroad for employment have been required to get a Protector of Emigrants stamp, designed to combat human trafficking, fake job offers, and illegal migration. The recent airport incidents were simply enforcement of these existing regulations—not any new law.

FIA DG told the National Assembly committee that 51,000 people have been offloaded this year alone, while a staggering 8.5 million Pakistanis traveled abroad. Former VC of the Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association (PEOPA), Adnan Pracha, criticized the confusion.

“Travelers who have obtained a Protector stamp should not face humiliation or barriers at airports,” he emphasized. Failure to resolve these conflicts, Pracha warned, could lead to a severe downturn in Pakistan’s manpower exports by 2026, with dangerous repercussions for the national economy and remittances.