New US report lauds Pakistan’s efforts

ISLAMABAD: The United States on Monday ranked Pakistan as a ‘Tier 2’ country, saying that the country has improved its performance in combating human trafficking.

The 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report, presented by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, highlights some measures taken by Pakistani authorities to tackle the menace, under the Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance. The report also pointed out that in 2009, there were 2,894 prosecutions and 166 convictions under various other penal code sections.

In addition, the report recognises Sindh police’s efforts to free over 2,000 bonded labourers, who were under the control of feudal lords and the Punjab government’s Elimination of Bonded Labour in Brick Kilns project. In collaboration with the International Labour Organisation and Pakistani NGOs, the project has helped nearly 6,000 bonded labourers obtain Computerised National Identification Cards, provided $140,000 in interest-free loans and established 60 schools for workers’ children.

Finally, the report appreciates Pakistani government’s completion of a four-year project to repatriate and rehabilitate over 1,000 children who had been trafficked to the UAE and Sindh government’s landless harees programme.

According to a press release by the US Embassy, Washington is determined to help Pakistan eliminate human trafficking from the region.

Commenting on the report, Barrister Zafarullah, a well-known human rights activist, said that it is focused only on international trafficking.He said that within the last two or three months the trend of international trafficking in Pakistan has decreased due to a decrease in economic activities in European countries. He said that the report also lacks in differentiating between various categories of trafficking.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2010.