Authorities in Pakistan have launched an investigation into allegations that a human trafficking network is luring young men with fake job offers in Russia and later forcing them to join the war in Ukraine.
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According to a complaint filed with the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Rawalpindi, victims were reportedly promised high-paying jobs, legal work permits, and monthly salaries of 500,000 to 600,000 rupees. Instead, they claim they were sent abroad and pressured into military involvement once they reached Russia.
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A case of alleged recruitment of Pakistani youths for the Russia-Ukraine war has surfaced, that a human-trafficking network is luring young men to Russia through promises of high-paying jobs and forcing them into war-related activities against Ukraine https://t.co/ADdQC1QKbd— Asad Ali Toor (@AsadAToor) May 11, 2026
The complaint, submitted by Mansoor Akhtar Jamal, states that he himself was deceived through a so-called “kitchen (cook) visa” arrangement. He alleged that an agent identified as Hisham bin Tariq, along with accomplices, collected approximately Rs4.75 million from his family for arranging travel and employment abroad.
Jamal said that after arriving in Russia, he and others were allegedly forced to join military activities against Ukraine. He further claimed that he contacted his family in distress, prompting efforts through the Pakistani embassy and other channels to secure his return to Pakistan. According to him, the process involved additional financial costs before he was eventually repatriated.
The complainant has provided FIA officials with bank transaction records, payment receipts, and other financial documentation as evidence. An inquiry (No. 266/26) has been registered, and initial investigations were assigned to an FIA officer, though officials later confirmed a change in case handling.
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Authorities are now examining whether an organised trafficking network is operating within Pakistan to exploit job seekers and channel them into conflict zones abroad. The complainant has urged the prime minister and interior minister to take strict action against those involved to prevent further exploitation of vulnerable youth.
FIA officials say the investigation is ongoing and more details will be shared as evidence is verified.