Immigration officials stop 13-year-old at Faisalabad airport after detecting suspicious documents, including an allegedly forged marriage certificate

FAISALABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested a man identified as Qari Zahid, also known as Qari Mujahid, after investigators allegedly linked him to an attempt to send a 13-year-old girl to Saudi Arabia using suspicious documents.

Officials said immigration authorities intercepted the minor, identified as Hira Firdous, at Faisalabad airport while she was allegedly preparing to travel to Saudi Arabia on an Umrah visa.

During routine immigration checks, officials became suspicious of the documentation presented for her journey and stopped her from boarding the flight.

Officials Detect Allegedly Fake Marriage Certificate

According to FIA officials, investigators examined a marriage certificate submitted with the minor’s travel documents and allegedly found it to be forged.

Furthermore, the preliminary investigation indicated that arrangements had allegedly been made for the girl’s marriage through an online process.

Authorities subsequently widened their inquiry to establish who prepared the documents, arranged the proposed journey and facilitated the alleged marriage.

Investigators said they recovered and examined documents allegedly prepared to facilitate the minor’s transfer abroad, apparently with assistance from an agent.

Three Suspects Booked Under Anti-Trafficking Law

Following the investigation, the FIA arrested Qari Zahid and registered a case against multiple suspects over their alleged involvement in human trafficking.

Officials identified the other accused as Nikah Khawan Hafiz Anis and Fayyaz, a person reportedly residing in Saudi Arabia.

The FIA booked the suspects under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of Pakistan’s Trafficking in Persons Act, 2018.

Meanwhile, investigators are examining the respective roles of those named in the case and attempting to determine whether additional individuals facilitated the alleged trafficking attempt.

The agency said its investigation remains underway and authorities are working to identify and arrest other suspected facilitators who may have been connected to the network.

Officials are also scrutinising the documentation and travel arrangements to establish the complete circumstances surrounding the attempted journey.