Recruitment agent jailed for 41 years for sending 92 nurses to Saudi Arabia on fake certificates

A special court in Rawalpindi has sentenced a recruitment agent to a total of 41 years in prison for sending 92 Pakistani nurses to Saudi Arabia on fake experience certificates, a fraud that ended with all of them being deported within a month.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Islamabad zone, which investigated the case, secured the convictions of two men. The court also ordered the main convict to pay more than Rs9 million in compensation to the nurses.

The fraud

According to FIA and court records, the 92 nurses were sent to Saudi Arabia using fake experience certificates. Once there, they were deported within a month.

For the nurses, the consequences went far beyond a lost job. Many families invest heavily to secure overseas employment for a relative, and a deportation can mean lost fees, debts and damage to a professional career. The FIA said progress in the case, which it described as high-profile, was regularly shared with the Prime Minister’s Office.

The verdict

Judge Abdul Rehman Muhammad Arif of the Special Court (Central), Rawalpindi, announced the judgement on September 23 in a case registered in 2024. The charges fell under provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code dealing with cheating and forgery, the Emigration Ordinance 1979, and the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947.

The main accused, agent Ghulam Zulfiqar Ali, also known as Mian Zulfiqar, received several sentences:

• Seven years’ rigorous imprisonment each on three charges of cheating, forgery and using forged documents, with a Rs100,000 fine on each
• Ten years’ rigorous imprisonment each on two charges under the Emigration Ordinance, with a Rs200,000 fine on each

According to the FIA, the sentences add up to a total of 41 years.

Compensation for the victims

The court also ordered Zulfiqar Ali to pay Rs9.2 million in compensation, Rs100,000 for each of the 92 nurses. The money is to be recovered as arrears of land revenue, and he faces a further six months in prison if he fails to pay. The compensation will be deposited with the FIA’s Islamabad zone director for distribution to the nurses.

Second accused

A second man, Ghulam Fareed, was sentenced to three years’ rigorous imprisonment and a Rs200,000 fine under the Emigration Ordinance. He was acquitted of the other charges, including cheating and forgery, after the court gave him the benefit of the doubt.

A warning for job seekers abroad

Overseas employment is a lifeline for millions of Pakistani families, and healthcare workers are in demand in the Gulf. But the case is a reminder of the risks posed by fraudulent recruiters. Some basic precautions for anyone seeking work abroad:

• Use only recruitment agents licensed by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment
• Never submit certificates or documents that do not reflect real qualifications or experience
• Get the job offer and contract in writing before paying fees
• Check that the visa matches the job being offered

As this case shows, fraudulent documents can be discovered quickly, leaving workers deported, out of pocket and with little to show for the money they paid.

Why it matters

Remittances from overseas workers are one of Pakistan’s largest sources of foreign exchange, and the reputation of Pakistani workers abroad affects future opportunities for everyone. A conviction of this scale, and a compensation order paid directly to victims, sends a signal to illegal recruiters, and may give other defrauded workers more confidence to come forward.

This article draws on court and FIA records, as reported by Dawn.