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Pakistan uncovers fake visa network in Islamabad involving Afghan nationals
According to the FIA, almost 700 Afghans obtained fraudulent visas and identities through the network.
Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has dismantled a sophisticated visa fraud operation based in Islamabad, uncovering a network that enabled hundreds of Afghan nationals to secure forged Pakistani documents and foreign work permits.
According to an FIA statement, the Counter-Terrorism Wing arrested three individuals—Muhammad Alam Zeb, Asif Khan, and Haroon Rashid—who played key roles in issuing nearly 100 fraudulent Saudi Arabian work visas to Afghan citizens using fake Pakistani passports, machine-readable Nigerian passports, and forged National Identity Cards (CNICs).
Alam Zeb alone allegedly facilitated 31 visas, Asif Khan issued four, and Rashid processed 58, the FIA.
During coordinated raids, two additional suspects—Muhammad Ishaq Khan and Syed Ehsan Shah—were apprehended, reportedly connected to issuing visas and identification for 693 Afghan nationals between them.
Shah allegedly assisted 580 Afghans, and Ishaq Khan arranged documents for 22 others.
The scope of the investigation is expanding, with authorities probing the involvement of officials at the FIA Immigration and Passport Office and NADRA.
Scale of the Scam
According to the FIA, almost 700 Afghans obtained fraudulent visas and identities through the network.
However, the FIA is scrutinizing potential collusion by government employees in the passport and identity authorities.
The fake visas were primarily used for employment in Saudi Arabia, highlighting the transnational dimension of the racket.
This operation meanwhile forms part of wider FIA efforts to curb visa fraud, human smuggling, and related crimes.
In a separate operation in December, the FIA Immigration Unit intercepted individuals, including Afghan nationals, attempting to board flights with counterfeit visas—such as a Poland-bound flight using forged documents—resulting in arrests and referrals to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle.
In earlier operations this year, the FIA arrested two agents in Peshawar for sending Afghans to Italy on fake Pakistani passports, seizing 15 passports and mobile phones, and uncovering human smuggling routes to Europe.
Additionally, investigations in Lahore led to the booking of 10 FIA officials and six travel agents for aiding 41 Afghans carrying counterfeit passports to Saudi Arabia.
The dismantling of this scam highlights vulnerabilities within Pakistan’s visa-issuance and identity system.
The FIA has pledged to intensify scrutiny of government employees in passport and registration departments. It also warned the public, urging travelers and employers to verify visa authenticity through official channels.
“This is not merely a scam—it puts national security and the credibility of Pakistan’s immigration infrastructure at risk,” the FIA stated. The investigation continues, with further arrests and legal proceedings anticipated.
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Islamic Emirate’s army now self-sufficient, says chief of army staff
Mohammad Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, says that over the past four years, the army forces of the Islamic Emirate have shown no hesitation in defending and protecting Afghanistan, and that today the country’s army is standing on its own feet.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, Fitrat made these remarks at a meeting with media representatives, political analysts, and a number of government officials aimed at coordination and strengthening cooperation. He added: “Nations that cannot stand on their own feet and rely on others, even if they grow, will not be capable of achieving real progress.”
Fitrat also expressed appreciation for the role of the media in ensuring security and in supporting the country’s defense forces, stating: “We and you, as citizens of this land, must put our hands together and build the country together, take pride in our forces, and strive with all our strength for the country’s development. We have created an army that defends honor, territorial integrity, and the borders of the country, and serves as the guardian of our freedom.”
He emphasized that the Islamic Emirate is working to establish an army equipped with modern weapons so that it can defend the country’s territory under all circumstances.
He stated that the country’s army has proven to the people that anyone who looks at this land with ill intent will face a firm and courageous response, and that it has also been made clear to neighboring countries that any aggression against Afghanistan will be met with a response several times stronger.
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Afghan health minister attends second WHO summit in India
Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate, participated in the second World Health Organization meeting on traditional medicine during his official visit to India.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Public Health said that the meeting was held in India with the participation of representatives from around 100 countries, health ministers from 23 countries, professional experts from various nations, and officials from different departments of the World Health Organization.
During the meeting, discussions were held on the standardization of traditional medicine, training of individuals active in this field, recognition of traditional medicine as an established reality, and the sharing of countries’ experiences in this area.
The ministry stated that the purpose of participating in the conference was to standardize traditional medicine in Afghanistan, adding that for several decades this sector has been practiced in a non-standard manner and without a defined curriculum or clear principles.
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Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan boost trade and digital finance ties
Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Abdul Salam Hanafi, has met with a high-level Kyrgyz delegation led by Minister of Economy and Commerce Bakhyt Sydykov to discuss expanding bilateral trade and strengthening cooperation in digital financial services.
During the meeting, Hanafi reaffirmed Afghanistan’s readiness to deepen ties with Kyrgyzstan, stressing the importance of developing electronic administration systems and modern banking channels to facilitate trade and financial transactions between the two countries.
Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives. He also pointed to potential cooperation in areas such as the printing of securities and the development of electronic payment systems.
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