The devilish menace of human trafficking ,prevalent in the society ,was not something new. Unfortunately, it has been there for years, nay decades together, ever since the plague of corruption erupted in the country much sooner after the creation of Pakistan.As a matter of bitter fact the lust for wealth had found its place in the society as the spirit demonstrated during the Pakistan Movement dissipated much sooner than expected.
Cutting the long bitter story short, the menace of human trafficking was recently highlighted following boat capsizing tragedies carrying Pakistanis along with others, off the coasts of Morocco and Libya, had occurred one after the other,, not only leaving a good number of aggrieved families mourning but also shaking the federal government at the highest level of none else but Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif who quite rightly took very serious notice of the boat tragedies involving Pakistanis
As of now, this scribe cannot help but point out that in the first instance there were not many branches of both the above-mentioned corporations and not much was known about their locations. The federal government should better look into this important point so that more and more people come to know about facilities available for seeking and securing employment abroad, instead of quite ignorantly falling as prey to the human traffickers and their agents and lamenting afterwards over the losses of their sons in boat tragedies every now and then
The PM categorically stated that the human traffickers will be punished severely and directed the official agencies concerned to forthwith launch a nationwide crackdown on human smuggling networks throughout the country, while regretting the demise of a number of Pakistani youth in the two boat tragedies.Tragedies like boat capsizing have occurred in the past, but somehow the latest boat tragedies had not only jolted the decision makers out of their somehow deep slumber, and the prime minister had chaired series of meetings on this burning issue and is personally monitoring the progress of the action being taken against human traffickers.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) , apparently the main law enforcing agency tackling the burning issue of human smuggling, geared itself up on the PM’s strict direction and forthwith launched a massive countrywide crackdown against the elements involved in human smuggling. As a result of this crackdown, the FIA within couple of weeks arrested 185 human smugglers and their agents, nabbed another 38 highly wanted human smugglers listed in the Redbook , confiscated properties worth more than Rs 450 million and froze bank accounts amounting to over Rs 70 million of the elements involved in much condemnable business of human smuggling, as well as issued red notices for the arrest of about two dozen human smugglers through Interpol. The crackdown was continued as it was being constantly monitored at the highest level. Since human smuggling business apparently could not be carried out in the country persistently without direct and indirect involvement of the FIA officials, it was perhaps for the first time in many years that a number of the FIA’s own officials of varying levels were dismissed and more were brought up for strict inquiries for their possible involvement in this dirty business.Gory details in this regard were being ignored for want of space..
Seemingly not being satisfied, the PM has now set up the Special Task Force which he himself is heading, for effectively and more aggressively combating human trafficking, emphatically stating that the perpetrators involved in human trafficking would be brought to justice at the earliest , directed all official departments and agencies to play their effective role in identifying the human smugglers and desired exemplary punishment for them to eliminate this devilish and highly deplorable business from the society.
As briefly stated above,this inhuman smuggling business could not have been carried out in the country without lust for wealth not only on the part of human smugglers but also the youth going abroad illegally for lucrative living, and their parents were also to be blamed. The boat tragedies and subsequent arrest of human smugglers and FIA officials, were followed by statements of the parents whose sons were either lost or missing that they had paid very huge amounts to the human smugglers through their agents for sending their son in search of employment in foreign countries. Quite obviously, they were unmindful of the bitter fact that in this manner they were not only resorting to some irresponsible and illegal acts but also risking the precious lives of their sons also.
The FIA has also issued an advisory, for the first time in 20 years, asking the immigration officials strictly to monitor the passengers aged between 15 to 40 years for 15 countries, 9 cities within the country and two airlines, FlyDubai and Ethiopian Airlines. Enhanced profiling of passengers for Libya, Iran, Mauritania, Iraq,, Turkiye, Qatar , Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan which were generally used by Pakistanis as transit points for human trafficking to Europe, and also those hailing from Jhelum, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad and Sheikhupura.
Undoubtedly, prevailing poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and lack of adequate skilled training and education for the youth could easily be cited as the factors which prompt the parents in general and the youth in particular for resorting to illegal means of travelling abroad for exploring employment opportunities.
Furthermore, ignorance about the initiatives and measures taken by the federal government for imparting skills training to the youth could also be cited in this regard. Such initiatives and measures need to be appropriately publicised essentially through all means of communication to ensure that the facilities being offered could be known and availed by the parents and the youth.
There were official organizations called the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment and Overseas Employment Corporation which serve as the mode of seeking employment in foreign countries through proper official channels. The large number of over 13 million Pakistanis have gone abroad through official procedures and are working in 50 countries around the globe, mostly in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Araab Emirates (UAE ). The location of these organizations and the facilities they offer for seeking and securing employment in foreign countries also need to be frequently publicised through all means of communication with emphasis on the rural areas.
As of now, this scribe cannot help but point out that in the first instance there were not many branches of both the above-mentioned corporations and not much was known about their locations. The federal government should better look into this important point so that more and more people come to know about facilities available for seeking and securing employment abroad, instead of quite ignorantly falling as prey to the human traffickers and their agents and lamenting afterwards over the losses of their sons in boat tragedies every now and then.
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