Overview
- The committee is chaired by Overseas Pakistanis Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain and includes IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, State Minister Muhammad Awn Chaudhry, the heads of the Pakistan Digital Authority and NITB, key secretaries, and representatives from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, NADRA, the Interior Ministry, and the FIA.
- Its mandate covers reviewing exit processes, proposing a new mechanism for lawful travel protections, and harmonising the protector-stamp system, with a report due in about three weeks and proposals targeted by the end of January.
- Recent reporting cites travellers with valid visas for destinations including Greece, Italy, Poland, and Baku being offloaded or denied protection stamps, with some Protector offices allegedly following unwritten orders.
- The FIA rejects claims of arbitrary offloading, saying interventions occur only over invalid documents or suspected smuggling, while the interior minister has stated that passengers with genuine and complete documents should not be barred from travel.
- Officials highlight cooperation with the International Organization for Migration to promote safe, regular migration and say the review aims to balance anti-smuggling enforcement with the rights of legitimate travellers.