Stringent Laws Be Enacted To Tackle Human Trafficking-related

ISLAMABAD SEPT , 30 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Sep, 2016 ) : Senators on Friday underlined the need for taking solid measures to enact effective legislation for curbing illegal border crossing with assistance of human traffickers.

They were discussing the adjournment motion by Ateeq Sheikh regarding illegal border crossing by Pakistan citizens with assistance of human traffickers, leading to severe consequences. Speaking on the occasion Ateeq Sheikh said according to reports that 300 agents of human traffickers were still operating in the country, alluring youth to jobs aboard while travelling on bogus travel documents where they had to face a number of hardships.

He said passport and other relevant departments should work hard and act on information as provided by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) which get information from those who were deported from an country.

Thus, he said vibrant piece of legislation should be enacted to effectively tackle such challenges. He said such illegal youth were ditched by those agents and they had to face numerous problems as about 450 Pakistanis were reported in Turkey who did not even had enough money to fly to Pakistan.

He opined the government should come forward to provide assistance to such people to bring them back to their homes. Rehman Malik said mostly underemployed people were trapped at the hand of human trafficker agents, adding relevant laws were existing like an Ordinance for illegal immigration, which could be further improved.

He said the laws should be made more applicable and stringent in order to bring those involved in this unethical and illegal business could be o justice as it brings name for country. Dr Jehanzeb Jamal Dinni urged the government to take tangible measures and create more job opportunities as most of the youth had to resort to illegal channels to seek job abroad due to unemployment and poverty.

He said corruption should be eradicated from all the departments in order to prevent youth from becoming victims to those human traffickers. Usman Kakar said people leave their houses and seek jobs abroad due to unemployment and poverty, adding the government should create more job opportunities to discourage the trend, adding the country's youth should be given concessions in foreign countries.

He was of the view that arresting youth when they were deported, did not resolve issues and they should be given job instead.

Barrister Saif said though immigration ordinance existed but it was toothless document and its post-offence clauses were week, which could be made stringent to effectively tackle the issue.

He said that Pakistan had ratified international conventions regarding human trafficking but these were not implemented in letter and spirit, adding the Senate could take notice in this regard.

He also underlined the need for sensitizing legal community regarding relevant laws to give severe punishment to the culprits of this illegal business. Like other countries, the Senator said our country should extend legal assistance to Pakistani citizens who had left along those agents.

Nighat Mirza said the government should take care of the youth and provide jobs to them enabling them to earn livelihood for their families in respectable way. Senator Taj Haider underlined the need for to create more employment opportunities for youth, adding Zulfikar Ali Bhatto also pursued diplomacy channels to provide job opportunities in other countries.

Thus, he was of the view the present government should follow the suit and use diplomacy front as well to bestow good jobs on youth besides working on domestic front for creating employment opportunities so they could not fell prey to those agents.

He said there should be just distribution of resources to make adequate job opportunities for the youth, adding effective legislation and policies should be made to empower the country's youth.

Nihal Hashmi was of the view that it was not only an issue in Pakistan, but it had become a global issue, adding making further legislation would not serve the purpose as they already relevant laws existed and they these could be revisited to have better results.

He said the government had made several development-oriented schemes which would give job opportunities for the youth as well. He said it was responsibility of each individual of society to work for achieving bright future for the country youth, adding corruption and the menace of kickbacks should be eliminated and investment should be encouraged to launch more development activities in the country.

Other senators also spoke on the occasion, adding solid measures should be taken to put a permanent end this heinous issue. APP/slm-raz/mub