Making traffickers pay

For too long, human traffickers in Pakistan have operated with a sense of impunity, enriching themselves by exploiting the desperation of those seeking a better life abroad. The 17-year rigorous imprisonment awarded to two traffickers by a Gujranwala court is therefore a welcome demonstration of the consequences that must await such offenders.

The verdict is not without precedent. Courts in Gujranwala have previously awarded 20-year prison terms to traffickers implicated in the 2023 migrant boat tragedy, while several others have received sentences of up to 22 years. According to the FIA, 164 individuals were convicted in trafficking and smuggling cases in the region during the first six months of this year. These convictions are encouraging but the challenge now is to ensure that such judicial firmness becomes a consistent feature of the justice system rather than an exception celebrated after every tragedy. Pakistan has repeatedly witnessed the deaths of its citizens on dangerous migration routes, yet criminal networks continue to flourish. The prospect of substantial profits evidently remains greater than the perceived risk of punishment. This calculation must change. Where the evidence establishes serious offences, courts should impose the maximum penalties justified under the law. However, the severity of punishment means little if justice takes years to arrive. Human trafficking cases demand expedited proceedings, supported by thorough investigations and effective prosecution. The FIA must also pursue the financiers and facilitators who sustain these networks. Arresting individual agents while leaving their wider operations intact will accomplish little.

International cooperation must also form a central part of the effort to dismantle human trafficking networks. Pakistan must strengthen coordination with transit and destination countries to facilitate intelligence-sharing and joint investigations. The state must demonstrate that trafficking is neither a profitable enterprise nor a crime whose consequences can be evaded through influence or procedural delays.