Afghan citizens illegally using Pakistan to travel to other countries

KARACHI: In a recent revelation, Afghan citizens are allegedly using Pakistan soil illegally to travel to other countries, ARY News reported on Saturday.

Authorities have arrested a total of nine Afghan citizens for attempting to travel to Japan and the United States using fraudulent medical visas from Pakistan.

Immigration sources indicate that this surge in counterfeiting is due to the suspension of Pakistani visit visas for Afghan nationals.

These individuals reportedly exploited the situation by arriving in Islamabad from Kabul under the guise of seeking medical treatment, supported by fake medical certificates. They then sought visas from various embassies and consulates for onward travel.

In the past three days, the immigration staff at Karachi Airport detained these nine Afghan nationals, leading to the registration of three cases (No. 205, 207, 213/2024) against them.

Following court orders, the arrested individuals have been transferred to jail.

The arrest has raised concerns about the involvement of certain Pakistani officials and agents who may be facilitating this illicit activity.