Lawmakers call for tougher measures against human trafficking

MPAs stress need for district-level monitoring

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LAHORE:

In the wake of the tragic deaths of 65 Pakistanis in Libya due to human smuggling, members of the Punjab Assembly have called for an intensified crackdown on traffickers and enhanced district-level monitoring to prevent such incidents.

Speaking at a joint press conference on Tuesday, members of the Special Committee on Anti-Human Trafficking and Human Smuggling, including Uzma Kardar, Adnan Afzal Chattha, Aoun Hameed, Rifat Mahmood Zaidi, Rushda Lodhi and Syed Kausar Abbas, stressed the urgency of dismantling illegal migration networks.

MPA Uzma Kardar, who heads the special parliamentary committee, reaffirmed the government's commitment to eliminating human smuggling.

"Traffickers lure people with false promises of a better future abroad. Many families sell their assets and pay between Rs4 to Rs5 million to these mafias, hoping to reach destinations like Malaysia, Cambodia, or Europe. Instead, they end up stranded, imprisoned, or worse—losing their lives," she said.Kardar emphasized that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), police, Deputy Commissioners (DCs), and District Police Officers (DPOs) were actively working to dismantle these criminal networks. She also announced the establishment of victim support units to assist affected families.

Syed Kausar Abbas, executive director of the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO), revealed that four major human smuggling cases had been reported in recent weeks. He urged the government to set up Anti-Human Smuggling and Trafficking Cells in every district and ensure their reports were directly shared with the parliamentary committee.

"We need strict surveillance at the district level to dismantle these smuggling networks before they claim more lives," he said.

MPA Adnan Afzal Chattha described irregular migration as a "tragic industry" that required urgent intervention, particularly in Gujranwala, Gujrat, and surrounding districts—areas known as hotspots for human smuggling.

"The Punjab government has launched technical training programs to offer legal migration opportunities.