How to Complain at the FIA One Window Facilitation Desk at a Pakistani Airport

FIA says it runs a One Window Facilitation Desk at the international airports in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar. Staff from FIA, the airport authority and other agencies sit there, and complaints against staff are taken at the desk. If the desk cannot help, FIA's helplines are 051-111-345-786 and 1991, and its email is complaints@fia.gov.pk.

We read the FIA Immigration Wing page at fia.gov.pk on 14 October 2026. It is the only official description of the desk we found. This guide sets out what the page says, what it leaves out, and what to do when something goes wrong at the airport.

FIA lists a desk at five international airports

The FIA page says the One Window Facilitation Desk, or OWFD, was set up at all international airports, named as Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar. It was created for the resolution of public grievances, after an order of the Wafaqi Mohtasib, the federal ombudsman.

The page says staff from several bodies are present at the desk: FIA, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the Airport Security Force (ASF), the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), Immigration and the passport department. The idea is that a passenger does not walk from office to office. The staff who can decide are in one place.

The desk deals with problems on the spot

FIA says passenger issues are meant to be resolved then and there by the staff concerned, and complaints against staff are received at the desk. The page does not list which problems qualify, so bring any airport problem and ask.

The page gives no counter number and no phone line for each airport desk. It also gives no timing for the desk itself. It says immigration matters are handled round the clock, which suggests an officer is on duty at all hours, but it does not say the desk is staffed all night. We do not state more than the page does.

Typical cases you might bring include a boarding refusal you do not understand, a document check that seems wrong, or a complaint about how an officer treated you. For the last case, write down the officer's name or badge if you can see it. Note the time and the counter. Details like these help any later complaint.

Use the helplines and the portal if the desk cannot help

FIA's page lists the helpline 051-111-345-786 and the short number 1991. Its complaint email is complaints@fia.gov.pk. It also names an online complaint portal at complaint.fia.gov.pk and an Overseas Pakistani Complaint Cell for people abroad.

The steps to file online are in the guide on filing an FIA complaint on the portal or the PakID app. Overseas Pakistanis who land and need practical help can also use the desks run by the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, listed in the guide to the OPF airport facilitation desk numbers.

1. Go to the One Window Facilitation Desk at the airport and explain the problem.
2. Ask for the officer's name and write down the time and counter.
3. If the desk cannot solve it, call 051-111-345-786 or 1991.
4. Send the details to complaints@fia.gov.pk or file on complaint.fia.gov.pk.
5. Keep your boarding pass, passport copy and any written reply.

Ask for an offload order in writing

FIA's own standing order is a separate matter, but it links to the desk. The order bars offloading on verbal instructions alone, and the passenger can ask for the decision in writing. The desk is a natural place to raise a disputed offload.

Our report on the FIA standing order on offloading explains what passengers can ask for. To avoid the problem altogether, the FIA document checklist lists the papers to carry. We do not repeat them here.

One caution. The FIA page is undated, and the standing order is reported rather than read by us in full. If a staff member tells you the desk no longer exists at your airport, ask for that in writing and take it to the helpline.

Know what the page does not say

The page does not give the desk's hours, its location inside each terminal, or a time limit for a reply. It does not say whether the desk covers domestic airports. It mentions Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar only.

We have not visited the desk, so we cannot say how fast it works in practice. Treat the desk as the first stop, and the helpline and portal as the next. Keep copies of everything you send, because a written trail is what makes a complaint easy to follow.

Common questions about the FIA airport desk

Where is the FIA One Window Facilitation Desk?

FIA lists it at the international airports in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar. The page gives no terminal or counter.

Can I complain about an officer at the desk?

Yes. The FIA page says complaints against staff are received at the desk.

What is the FIA helpline number?

The FIA page lists 051-111-345-786 and 1991. The complaint email is complaints@fia.gov.pk.

Is there an online way to complain to FIA?

Yes. FIA names an online complaint portal at complaint.fia.gov.pk and an Overseas Pakistani Complaint Cell.

Does the desk work at night?

The page says immigration matters are handled round the clock. It does not state the desk's own hours, so ask at your airport.

Who ordered the desk to be set up?

The FIA page says it followed an order of the Wafaqi Mohtasib, the federal ombudsman.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 14 October 2026. The desk description, the airports, the staff list and the helplines come from the FIA Immigration Wing page at fia.gov.pk, which carries no date. The federal ombudsman's office is at mohtasib.gov.pk. We did not visit a desk or call the helpline, so we cannot confirm hours or response times.