Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has defended the use of mobile phone inspection at airports in selected cases, saying that the checks are reserved for passengers suspected of links to human smuggling, while legal experts have questioned whether the practice is authorised under Pakistani law.

The agency has stated that phone examinations are carried out only after passengers are identified as high risk through an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted profiling system and intelligence assessments, rather than as part of routine immigration screening.

The system analyses factors such as travel history, destination, visa type and whether a passenger’s profile matches the stated purpose of travel.

The measures form part of a broader crackdown on human smuggling launched after a June 2023 migrant boat disaster off Greece, in which 262 Pakistanis were among an estimated 650 people who died. Since then, Pakistan has strengthened immigration screening to identify suspected smuggling networks and irregular migration routes.

Official data indicates that thousands of Pakistanis who travelled on visit visas to countries including Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Malawi and Uzbekistan between January 2025 and April 2026 did not return after their visas expired. The FIA says that such travel patterns help identify routes that may be exploited by human smugglers.

The agency maintains that only a small number of passengers are subjected to phone examinations and says travellers who believe they have been wrongly prevented from leaving the country can seek a review through airport complaint mechanisms, senior FIA officials or courts.

Legal experts say immigration officers are authorised to inspect passports, visas and other travel documents under the Passport Act, 1974, and anti-human smuggling legislation. However, they argue that compelling passengers to unlock or surrender mobile phones may fall outside those powers unless a formal criminal inquiry has been initiated.

They also say that forcing access to a passenger’s phone could amount to an unlawful search and seizure and potentially violate the right to privacy guaranteed under Article 14 of Pakistan’s Constitution.