The menace of human trafficking

Millions continue to suffer as a blind eye is turned to human trafficking in Pakistan

Beneath the everyday ordinary economic activity taking place in any country, there is the underbelly of the shadow economy. This is where those with undocumented incomes and secret purposes go to buy and sell what cannot be bought and sold in big name brand stores. The shadow economy attracts purveyors of drugs, smuggled goods and human beings. Human trafficking is often looked upon as an unfortunate practice left behind by the civilised world and many don’t realise that not only is this practice still alive, it is thriving. In Pakistan, besides present in many other forms, it is also there in the shape of almost 2.6 million bonded labourers working to pay off their debts to landlords or brick kiln owners, often for generations. This is one major reason why the US Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report 2016 has named Pakistan not only as a transit point for such transactions but also as a source and a destination.

Apart from bonded labour, Pakistan is also used by traffickers as a stopover point for the men, women and children that are brought over from other countries to be bought and sold. Pakistan has held its position in the TIP report as a Tier Two country for three consecutive years as it does not meet the standards for elimination of this menace. This year a written plan has been put forth which could yield significant results “if implemented”. So far, our governments have had a poor track record in tackling this issue. There needs to be a crackdown on the businesses which use bonded labour and also on those running trafficking rings across the country. The issue is more complicated due to involvement of terrorist outfits in kidnappings and purchase of children for use as spies and soldiers. Added to this is the political angle. Those who use bonded labour are often involved in politics and thus their activities are largely ignored by law-enforcement agencies. Meanwhile, millions continue to suffer as a blind eye is turned to human trafficking in this country.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2016.

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