Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has uncovered a visa fraud scheme involving a senior official of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), in which private individuals were falsely presented as part of an official government delegation to obtain French visas.
According to the FIA, two private individuals were shown as members of an official delegation in visa applications submitted to the French Embassy.
The agency stated that official emails were sent to the embassy claiming the individuals were FBR employees, despite neither holding any government position.
The FIA identified the individuals as Kamran and Aamir Shehzad. Investigators revealed that one of them is a driver, while the other works as a property dealer.
The inquiry found that senior FBR officer Atiq-ur-Rehman allegedly received Rs. 5.3 million to facilitate the visa process. The FIA said the payments were transferred to the officer through banking channels.
The FIA’s Anti-Corruption Cell has registered a case against the FBR officer and other individuals involved in the scam. Kamran and Aamir Shehzad were arrested at Islamabad Airport as part of the investigation.
Authorities say further investigations are underway.
