FIA Peshawar establishes zonal grievance committee for passengers denied departure

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Peshawar Zone has established a Zonal Grievance Committee to provide passengers with a formal

PESHAWAR: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Peshawar Zone has established a Zonal Grievance Committee to provide passengers with a formal mechanism to challenge and seek review of departure refusals at Bacha Khan International Airport.

The committee has been constituted through an office order issued by Director FIA Peshawar Zone Muhammad Ijaz Khan PSP, in accordance with Standing Order No. 02/2026 issued by the Risk Analysis Unit of the Immigration Wing at FIA Headquarters, Islamabad.

The newly established mechanism is aimed at providing a structured, transparent and time-bound process for passengers who are stopped from travelling by immigration authorities.

According to the order, the Zonal Grievance Committee will be headed by the Zonal Director FIA Peshawar Zone as Chairman. The Deputy Directors Incharge of FIA Anti-Human Trafficking and Smuggling Circle (AHTC) and Anti-Corruption Circle (ACC) Peshawar will serve as members of the committee.

Review mechanism for refused passengers

Under the procedure outlined in the order, a passenger whose departure has been refused by the Shift Incharge Immigration will have the right to seek a review of the decision.

The aggrieved passenger may submit a review application within seven days before the Incharge Immigration, Deputy Director or Additional Director concerned.

The reviewing authority will examine the relevant record, provide the passenger an opportunity for a personal hearing and issue a written decision within three days.

A copy of the written decision will also be provided to the concerned passenger, ensuring that the outcome of the review is formally communicated.

Appeal before zonal committee

If a passenger remains dissatisfied with the decision of the reviewing authority, the individual may subsequently file an appeal before the Zonal Grievance Committee.

The committee will hear the appellant and is required to decide the appeal within 10 days from the date of its receipt.

The procedure also provides for cases where an appellant does not appear before the committee. In such circumstances, the committee will proceed to decide the matter on the basis of the written appeal and the available facts and record.

The mechanism is expected to provide passengers with an additional level of review in cases where they believe their departure has been refused without adequate justification or where they wish to challenge the decision through the prescribed process.

Decisions to be formally communicated

Officials said the grievance mechanism has been introduced to ensure transparent, fair and timely redressal of complaints relating to refusal of departure.

The decisions taken by the Zonal Grievance Committee will also be communicated to the Additional Director General Immigration & Airports Headquarters Security (ADG I&AHS) at FIA Headquarters, Islamabad.

To ensure proper documentation, Muhammad Sajjad, Stenotypist at the FIA Zonal Office Peshawar, has been assigned responsibility for maintaining the committee’s official record.

The office order has been circulated among the concerned Additional Director Generals at FIA Headquarters in Islamabad and has also been displayed on the notice board at FIA Immigration, Bacha Khan International Airport, Peshawar.

Passengers requiring information regarding the grievance process may contact the concerned FIA offices through the designated numbers.

Chairman, Zonal Director FIA Peshawar: 091-9217801

Member, FIA AHTC Peshawar: 091-9217047

Member, FIA ACC Peshawar: 091-9217806

The new arrangement provides passengers affected by departure refusals with a defined review and appeal channel, along with specific timelines for decisions at each stage.

#FIAPeshawar #ZonalGrievanceCommittee #RefusalOfDeparture #BKIAP #ImmigrationPakistan #PassengersRights #MinuteMirror #BreakingNewsPK