The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has strongly denied media reports alleging that its officials were involved in visa selling or human trafficking under the guise of a women’s trade delegation, calling the claims false, baseless and defamatory.
In a statement issued from Karachi, FPCCI Secretary General Brig. Iftikhar Opel (Retd.) said the organisation had no connection with the alleged visa scandal and rejected the allegations published in an Urdu daily on July 21, 2026. He said the federation operates under strict legal and administrative procedures for all international trade delegations.
FPCCI Rejects Allegations
According to the Secretary General, FPCCI maintains transparent and merit-based protocols for processing and verifying all outgoing trade delegations.
He said the federation neither requested visas for the alleged women’s delegation nor issued any recommendation related to the case. He added that all official visa recommendation letters are issued only through FPCCI’s Head Office in Karachi and include an embossed seal and QR code, a verification system in place since 2023.
The statement said that because no recommendation was issued by FPCCI, allegations regarding visa issuance in exchange for money were without factual basis.
Clarification on Women’s Chambers
The Secretary General also clarified that more than 300 trade organisations operate independently across Pakistan, including 31 Women’s Chambers of Commerce licensed by the Directorate General of Trade Organizations.
He said these organisations function autonomously and that FPCCI is not responsible for the activities or decisions of its affiliated trade bodies.
No Official Inquiry, Says FPCCI
FPCCI further stated that it has not received any communication from the government regarding an inquiry into the alleged matter and has not offered to conduct an internal investigation.
The federation also said the newspaper’s correspondent did not contact FPCCI officials for comment before publishing the report.
FPCCI Seeks Correction
The Secretary General demanded an immediate and unconditional correction of the published report and urged media organisations to verify information before publishing allegations that could harm the reputation of institutions.
He added that FPCCI reserves the right to pursue legal action under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) against what it described as defamatory and factually incorrect reporting.
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