A group of seven people from Pakistan caused a racket after they posed as a squash team trying to gain New Zealand Visas with a forged letter.
The letter in question was signed by the director-general of sports in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region and was submitted to the New Zealand Consulate General on February 7.
The letter essentially said that five players and two staff members were to play in the 2025 New Zealand Open Junior Squash Championship in Christchurch from March 7th – 9th.
It claimed the director-general would cover all expenses whilst the team were away.
Later in February a New Zealand Consulate General for Pakistan staff member emailed the Pakistan Squash Federation to clarify the event details.
When the Federation approached the director-general the man who had signed the letter had not been in the position since November 2023, the visas were then refused.
Immigration New Zealand confirmed they had received a group application for seven squash players to participate in the New Zealand Open Junior Squash Championship.
“This type of visa is meant for groups who are travelling together for the same reason and have similar plans, all organised by a specific group leader.
“After assessing the information provided and completing verification checks on the documents provided, we were not satisfied that the individuals met these requirements and their applications were therefore declined.”
