Islamabad (Ehsan Bukhari Special Reporter):
A visa scandal involving a senior officer of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has come to light, in which private individuals allegedly obtained French visas by being falsely shown as part of an official government delegation. The FIA Anti-Corruption Cell Islamabad has registered a case against the FBR officer and several other individuals.
According to investigations, two private individuals, Kamran and Aamir Shahzad, were falsely presented as members of an official delegation to obtain French visas. The French Embassy was contacted through an official FBR email, in which these individuals were misrepresented as FBR employees.
The FIA states that senior FBR officer Atiq ur Rehman allegedly received Rs. 5.3 million in exchange for facilitating this illegal process. Among the private individuals, one is reported to be a driver and the other a property dealer, both of whom were granted visas under a fake official status.
According to the FIR, the accused transferred the money to the FBR officer through banking channels. During the operation, the FIA arrested Kamran and Aamir Shahzad at Islamabad Airport, while investigations against other suspects are ongoing. FIA officials say further revelations are expected, and strict legal action will be taken for misuse of official authority.
It was also revealed that the passengers had pre-planned to travel to Barcelona, Spain, immediately after entering France, with airline tickets and hotel bookings already arranged, indicating that their actual intention was to seek asylum in Europe.
The FIA has registered a case against Atiq ur Rehman Chaudhry and five others under charges of fraud, forgery, misuse of official authority, and violation of immigration laws. Interrogation of the arrested individuals is currently underway.