Task for FIA: SC orders report on human trafficking

Petition filed before court asks it to strike down the 21st constitutional amendment

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to submit a report on the illegal trafficking of people from the country.

A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, on Monday asked the FIA to provide details –regarding the cases filed against those involved in human trafficking and those convicted of the crime.

The FIA was also asked to determine how many human traffickers were issued a challan, how many among the accused were released by the courts, and whether they were released due to insufficient evidence or some other reason.

During the hearing, Justice Khawaja said the government has failed to provide food, shelter and jobs to its citizens, forcing many of them to seek their fortunes abroad, even through illegal means. “In their struggle to reach Europe some of them are killed on their way,” he said.

The bench had taken up this matter during hearing of the plea, filed against the bail of an alleged human trafficker, Azhar Hussain, who sent two of the petitioner’s brothers to Turkey. The petitioner claimed that Azhar’s sons were also involved in illegally trafficking Pakistanis to different European countries.

The SC bench later allowed Azhar Hussain to engage a counsel and directed the FIA to submit a detailed report on human trafficking till February 4.

Petition against 21st Amendment

Another petition was filed on Monday against the 21st Amendment for sanctioning military courts in the country.

In a petition filed against the federation, National Assembly and Senate, Communist Party of Pakistan Chairman Engineer Jameel Ahmed requested the court to strike down the amendments in the Constitution and the Army Act 1952.

The petition said it was wrong to suggest that the judiciary had failed to hand down penalties to the terrorists. It pointed out that the courts had awarded the death penalty to nearly 8,000 death row prisoners.

“Therefore, it is not the judiciary’s fault if these sentences were not carried out and the rulers did not execute the condemned criminals under pressure from the US and the European Union,” it said.

It said the parliament has the right to amend the Constitution and enact laws but it cannot change the basic structure of the Constitution.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2015.