Expired NICOP Holders Barred from Entering Pakistan: FIA

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has issued new travel guidelines for dual-national Pakistanis, making it mandatory for travellers to possess either a valid National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) or a Pakistani visa when travelling on a foreign passport.

Under the new rules, Pakistani nationals holding expired or cancelled NICOPs will not be allowed to enter Pakistan from any country, including the United States and the United Kingdom.

The FIA said all airlines have been informed of the updated guidelines and instructed not to board passengers travelling with expired or cancelled NICOPs.

Officials warned that passengers arriving with invalid NICOPs will be returned on the next available flight. Previously, airlines had been allowing such travellers to board flights to Pakistan.

The Ministry of Interior has also notified immigration authorities, and the new guidelines have been implemented at all airports across the country.