The offloading of four passengers at Islamabad airport for attempting to travel on fake work visas is a small incident with outsized implications. Acting on intelligence, the Federal Investigation Agency prevented their departure and initiated legal proceedings, underscoring the state’s intent to curb illegal migration at the point of exit rather than lament it after the damage is done.

The intervention is a necessary assertion of authority. Illegal emigration is not a victimless act born merely of desperation; it is a systemic failure sustained by forged documents, complicit agents, and a willingness to bypass lawful channels. Each such attempt reinforces damaging stereotypes abroad and tightens scrutiny on legitimate Pakistani travellers, students, and........

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