Last Updated on September 19, 2026 by YeJahan
The integrity of Pakistan’s official foreign document verification process has been put at stakeHAFIZA SUMAN
ISLAMABAD (Sept 19): The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday busted a major criminal network operating from the heart of the capital, uncovering a sophisticated black market engaged in the forgery of government seals and official document legalisation stamps.
The action has exposed six Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials embedded within the ring that weaponised state attestation stamps for illicit profit. High-ranking personnel—including an Assistant Director and the In-charge of the Apostille desk—colluded with private consultancies to circulate counterfeit verification stickers, severely compromising the international credibility of Pakistan’s diplomatic document process.
Raids conducted by the FIA’s Anti-Corruption Circle inside the basement of the F&F Plaza in the Aabpara commercial district targeted several education consultancies and courier offices. Investigators uncovered a massive operation dedicated to the production, distribution, and fraudulent use of fake Apostille stickers—the international verification stamps required for Pakistani citizens traveling, working, or studying abroad.
Following the operation, the agency registered Case No. 48/2026 against 22 suspects. Crucially, the dragnet has ensnared state officials alongside private racketeers, naming 16 private individuals and six officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
Among the private sector entities implicated are the owners and staff of Sophie Consultants, Excellent Courier Service, Leopard Courier Services, Rock Consultancy, Noon Consultants Private Limited, GM Consultants, and Fairline Service. The MoFA officials accused of collusion inside the ministry include an Assistant Director, an Assistant Private Secretary (APS) for Attestation, and the In-charge of the Apostille desk.
According to FIA investigators, the syndicate extorted exorbitant fees from unsuspecting visa and study applicants by promising to fast-track their official document attestation. The illicit profits were then allegedly funnelled back into the ministry as bribes to grease the wheels of the operation.
The investigation has raised serious national security alarms, revealing that counterfeit Apostille stickers are already in wide circulation across multiple cities, threatening to completely undermine the integrity of Pakistan’s official foreign document verification process and inflicting severe financial losses on the state exchequer.
A local court has granted investigators a three-day physical remand of the arrested suspects. Inspector Arslan Masood Khan has been appointed to lead the ongoing criminal inquiry, which was executed under the direct supervision of the Deputy Director of the Anti-Corruption Circle on orders from the Director of the FIA Islamabad Zone.
The FIA Islamabad Zone has issued a stern warning following the raids, stating that all elements involved in forgery and corruption within state institutions will be brought to justice.
Copyright YeJahan News Network, 2026
