ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Monday Pakistan’s efforts to work for peace must not be mistaken as its weakness, saying India would have to give the people of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmiri the right of self-determination.
Khan said this in a statement on the occasion of Defense Day, celebrated as a national day each year to commemorate the sacrifices made by Pakistani soldiers in defending its borders. September 6 marks the day in 1965 when Indian troops crossed the international border to launch an attack on Pakistani Punjab.
“Our desire for peace must not be misconstrued as weakness, rather it must be reciprocated for sake of economic wellbeing and peoples’ prosperity in the entire region,” Khan said in a reference to India. “On our part, we will continue to expose the real face of radicalized India … The saner international elements do recognize our role for peace.”
Khan said when India initiated an “undeclared war” on Pakistan in 1965, the entire nation came out to support its soldiers.
“Many even started marching toward the border with bare hands,” he said. “Such a display of national unity galvanized the already spirited armed forces in their fearless fight against the enemy, which has no parallel in history.”
“This magnificent day, the sixth of September, comes each year to let us pay rich tributes in particular to our heroes, the Ghazis [fighters] and Shuhada [martyrs], and the gallant armed forces overall who have always been the nation’s hope and pride.”
“We pay homage to the families of Shuhada for sacrificing their loved ones in the defense of the motherland,” Khan added.
The PM said India had “constantly perpetrated terrorism against Pakistan, using Afghan soil to create unrest in Pakistan.”
India has always denied this charge.
“On this day we not only condemn those involved in such heinous acts but also pay special tributes to our valiant armed forces who have rendered invaluable sacrifices for our motherland,” he added. “The world must hold India accountable for its rogue behavior.”
Pakistan’s desire for peace must not be mistaken as weakness, PM warns India
https://arab.news/w22q5
Pakistan’s desire for peace must not be mistaken as weakness, PM warns India
- Khan says India had “constantly perpetrated terrorism” against Pakistan using Afghan soil
- India has always denied that it supports militant groups that attack Pakistan
Pakistan offloaded over 66,150 passengers this year amid crackdown on illegal migration
- Last year Pakistan offloaded around 35,000 individuals from airports, FIA director-general tells parliamentary committee
- Federal Investigation Agency chief says surge in offloading is a countermeasure against fraudulent migration rings
ISLAMABAD: Authorities offloaded 66,154 passengers from Pakistani airports this year compared to last year’s figure of 35,000, officials told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday, attributing the surge to the government’s countermeasures against illegal migration.
The disclosure was made during a session of the Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, chaired by lawmaker Syed Rafiullah. The committee’s meeting was convened amid complaints by several passengers that they were offloaded from airports across the country despite possessing valid travel documents.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a 14-member committee, headed by the federal minister for overseas Pakistanis, to investigate the reports and suggest measures to streamline immigration procedures this month.
“The director-general [of Federal Investigation Agency] told that 66,154 passengers were offloaded this year, a significant increase from the 35,000 offloaded the previous year,” Rafiullah told Arab News.
DG FIA Riffat Mukhtar informed the committee that the majority of passengers offloaded— approximately 51,000--were stopped due to questions about the veracity of their travel documents, which primarily included work, tourist and Umrah visas.
“The surge in offloading is a countermeasure against fraudulent migration rings,” Mukhtar explained to the committee.
Pakistan has also intensified its crackdown against individuals after several reports suggested passengers from the South Asian country were exploiting their Umrah visas to engage in begging.
Mukhtar disclosed to the committee that 56,000 individuals involved in “organized begging” were deported from Saudi Arabia during the year.
He also cited growing restrictions from the UAE and emerging illegal migration routes toward Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia, including Cambodia and Thailand, as reasons for offloading a large number of people this year from airports.
“Passengers are offloaded on the basis of document verification, data checks and online authentication,” Mukhar said as per local media reports.
“No passenger was cleared under political influence or VIP pressure.”
The committee, meanwhile, called on the FIA to balance enforcement with a strong redressal mechanism for passengers.
“There must be a mechanism and SOP for redressal of Pakistanis offloaded incorrectly. Enforcement without an accessible remedy damages both people and reputation,” Rafiullah said.
The NA committee members directed the Ministry of Interior, FIA and Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis to immediately publish standard operating procedures and complaint mechanisms at all airport immigration counters.
The committee also reviewed the operations of the Community Welfare Attaché (CWA) network in Gulf countries.
CWAs are government officials posted abroad who safeguard Pakistani migrant workers’ interests.
The committee was informed that CWAs handled more than 55,000 welfare cases in 2025, including tens of thousands of repatriations, emergency travel documents, prison visits and legal aid interventions.
Officials told the committee that a risk-analysis unit has been created and a mobile application called “IMMI” is being developed to improve pre-departure screening and real-time monitoring of immigration counters.
Members recommended immediate interoperability between FIA systems and the E-Protector platform to ensure verification and that “ok-to-board” checks are completed before passengers reach the airport.
The FIA shared that around 8.5 million Pakistanis traveled abroad in 2025 while 226 cases of various immigration-related offenses were registered. The agency reported that over the past three months, 450 people attempting illegal entry into Iran were arrested.
Several Bangladeshi nationals traveling on Pakistani tourist visas were also caught attempting to enter Europe illegally, the committee was told.
