‘Most women trafficking happens within country’

Civil society, FIA discuss victim identification, assistance, protection, trafficking situation at IOM seminar.

LAHORE: There is more trafficking of women within Pakistan than out of Pakistan, said a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) official at the opening day of a workshop organised by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on Wednesday.

“The FIA is a federal organisation and we get few human trafficking cases compared to the police,” said Sarwat Butt, who is the first female deputy director of the FIA. “There is more trafficking of women within the country than there is out the country.”

She also criticised the police, saying it had only recently started providing the FIA with data on the number of human trafficking cases within the country.

Representatives of civil society and non-government organisations also joined in the first day of the Workshop on Gender and Counter Human Trafficking Awareness at the Pearl Continental hotel.

Hassan Abdal and Moniem Mustafa from IOM gave an introductory address about how the organisation works in Pakistan and its objectives. Aima Mehmood from Working Women Organisation (WWO) explained the role of her organisation while Captain Zafar, acting assistant director general of the FIA, talked about his agency’s efforts to combat illegal immigration. Zia Awan, president of Lawyers for Human Rights & Legal Aid, spoke about human trafficking in Pakistan.

IOM officials Serhan Aktoprak and Fiona Elassiuty spoke about international and regional instruments on human trafficking, victim identification, assistance, protection and the trafficking situation in the region.

A documentary on human trafficking produced by the IOM was screened at the end of the day. The organisers said the second day of the workshop would include the screening of a video titled ‘Making of Human Rights Declaration’ and discussions on three case studies. Saleem Rehmat and Ali Rehman Khan from IOM will talk about the differences and similarities between human trafficking and human smuggling and ethical interrogation techniques for law enforcement bodies.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2010.