Online Fraud & Obscene Content: 284 Foreigners to Be Deported Within 15 Days

ISLAMABAD, Aug 17: Authorities have decided to transfer 284 foreign nationals detained in connection with cases and investigations involving alleged online fraud and other unlawful digital activities to Adiala Jail, ahead of their planned deportation from Pakistan, according to sources familiar with the process.

Earlier Sub-Jail Notification Withdrawn

Sources said the government has withdrawn an earlier notification under which a plaza located in a private housing society had been designated as a sub-jail for temporarily holding the foreign nationals.

Following the withdrawal, arrangements are now being made to move the detainees to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

Visas Cancelled, Special Permits Issued

According to the information available to Islamabad Tribune, the visas of the detained foreign nationals were cancelled on Sunday, while special permits were subsequently issued to facilitate the legal and immigration formalities required for their departure from Pakistan.

Sources said authorities intend to complete the repatriation process within approximately 15 days, subject to documentation, travel arrangements and coordination with the relevant diplomatic missions and immigration authorities.

Foreign Nationals From Several Countries

The detainees reportedly include nationals of several countries, with a significant number said to be citizens of Vietnam, Indonesia and China.

Many had reportedly entered Pakistan on tourist or visit visas.

Law-Enforcement Scrutiny of Foreign Nationals

The development follows law-enforcement scrutiny of foreign nationals allegedly involved in unauthorised commercial and online activities in the Islamabad-Rawalpindi region.

Authorities have previously uncovered organised online-fraud operations involving foreign nationals. In an earlier Islamabad operation, investigators described a sophisticated structure in which suspects allegedly used social media, fake identities and cryptocurrency channels to target victims.

Separately, Rawat police in June uncovered an alleged operation involving the production and live-streaming of obscene material from a private housing society, arresting local and foreign suspects. That case involved a much smaller group and should not, without official confirmation, be treated as identical to the current 284-person deportation process.

Legal Framework for Deportation

The deportation process also has a distinct immigration dimension. The Federal Investigation Agency lists immigration and enforcement of laws relating to foreigners among its responsibilities and has publicly clarified that the FIA and National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency are separate agencies with distinct mandates.

Pakistan’s Foreigners Act, 1946 provides a legal framework under which a foreign national whose permission to remain in Pakistan has ended, or for whom deportation arrangements have been completed, may be permitted to leave if their presence is not required in another case. The law also contains provisions concerning custody pending deportation.

The Foreigners Order, 1951 separately regulates the entry, stay and departure of foreigners and provides powers concerning detention and removal from Pakistan.

Official Confirmation Awaited

However, at the time of publication, Islamabad Tribune could not locate a publicly accessible government notification independently confirming all elements of the latest 284-person transfer and 15-day deportation timetable.

Those specific details are therefore being reported as information attributed to official sources, pending a formal government statement.