Offloading of Passengers Continues at Lahore Airport Amid Heated Exchanges with FIA
LAHORE: The offloading of passengers during low-profile screening continues at Allama Iqbal International Airport, with an increase in protests and heated exchanges between passengers and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials.
The FIA called Airport Security Force (ASF) personnel after passengers allegedly began recording videos on mobile phones and engaged in arguments with immigration staff.
According to airport sources, a video has surfaced showing two passengers, Umar and Abu Bakar, protesting after being offloaded while traveling to Colombo on SriLankan Airlines flight UL154.
The two passengers had obtained their boarding passes from the airline counter and proceeded for immigration clearance. However, FIA officials stopped them during low-profile screening and prevented them from traveling to Sri Lanka.
A heated exchange reportedly took place between the passengers and FIA officials. The passengers protested and attempted to record videos of the officials, prompting ASF personnel to arrive at the scene.
Following the situation, FIA officials called ASF personnel, who took both passengers to the airline counter. The ASF provided them with offloading proformas and later shifted them to the control room.
After legal proceedings, ASF officials allowed Umar and Abu Bakar to return home from Lahore Airport.
The FIA also advised passengers to have their travel documents checked through the pre-immigration process before departure.
According to FIA officials, passengers will be informed in advance through pre-immigration screening if any potential issue is found with their travel documents.
