Overseas Pakistanis holding expired, invalid, or cancelled National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) are no longer permitted to board flights to Pakistan.
According to reports, the federal government has issued directives to all zonal directors of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to convey a new decision to every airline operating inbound flights to Pakistan. Airlines must now stop boarding passengers traveling to Pakistan on expired, invalid or cancelled National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP).
A government official stated that the practice of allowing individuals to travel to Pakistan on invalid documents had been been going on for a long period. The administration has decided to end the practice.
“Airlines should be instructed to verify the validity of NICOPs prior to boarding and refuse carriage to any passenger presenting an invalid, expired or cancelled NICOP,” the official said.
Under the directives, passengers who hold foreign passports alongside an expired or invalid NICOP will not be permitted to board flights to Pakistan unless they obtain a valid Pakistani visa.
The regulation applies to travelers departing from all international locations and is not specific to any country.
An FIA official stated that the legal requirements regarding valid travel documents have always been in place, and the current directive serves to ensure strict enforcement of existing laws. The agency has communicated the instructions to all domestic immigration check-posts to maintain uniform procedures at all airports.
The official noted that the measure aligns travel regulations with other state services, where an expired national identity card or NICOP already results in the suspension of mobile SIM cards, banking transactions and property rights.
The FIA is tasked with monitoring compliance at airports to confirm that airlines check documents before passengers board.
