ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Dr Usman Anwar on Tuesday disclosed that approximately 10,000 Pakistani nationals traveled to the United Kingdom on student visas and subsequently applied for political asylum. The revelation came during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior, chaired by Raja Khurram Nawaz, which included detailed discussions on illegal immigration, passport policy, and proposed criminal law reforms.
UK Concern Over Asylum Applications
The disclosure follows concerns raised by British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott last week regarding the increasing number of Pakistani nationals seeking political asylum in the UK. She noted that Pakistanis now rank among the top nationalities filing such applications. Marriott expressed regret that many cases stem from misinformation and exploitation by unauthorized intermediaries rather than genuine eligibility.
FIA Director General's Briefing
Addressing the committee, DG FIA Anwar stated that individuals illegally leaving the country bring disrepute to Pakistan. He highlighted that several countries, including those in the European Union, have raised the issue with Islamabad. Anwar revealed that 580 Pakistanis who traveled to Belarus have not returned, while 7,000 Pakistanis went to Azerbaijan on visit visas and also failed to come back. Additionally, 175 arrested Pakistanis have been repatriated from Libya.
Anwar further noted the emergence of a new human trafficking route via Malaysia and Uzbekistan. During 2025, authorities offloaded 39,786 individuals attempting to travel abroad without documents, and more than 3,000 were stopped based on stop lists and Interpol alerts. He reported a 75% reduction in organized begging and a 31% decline in the use of fake documents.
State Minister's Update
State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry informed the committee that illegal immigration from Pakistan has decreased by 47%, a decline confirmed by both Europe and the United States. He announced that further facilitations would be introduced soon and that a new policy for lost passports has been prepared. Chaudhry explained that if a passport is repeatedly reported lost, the matter is treated as suspicious and investigated. He also noted that identity theft occurs worldwide.
Law Minister on Reforms
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, briefing on proposed criminal law reforms, suggested the matter be taken up in detail after the budget. He stated that while 80-year-old laws are not necessarily bad and remain effectively implemented in many countries, changes are unavoidable due to modern technology and new requirements.
