ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the implementation of recommendations put forward by a government committee for curbing human trafficking in Pakistan within a month.
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, presided over by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, took up the case pertaining to the death of labourers in Turbat area of Balochistan for hearing on Tuesday.
The CJP questioned the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general (DG) about the agency’s commitment to curbing human trafficking and asked him to share information as to how many gangs of human traffickers have been busted by law enforcement agencies. The chief justice also directed the director general to ask for assistance when required.
The FIA DG said that the agency had to work within limited available resources. He also informed that one gang that was busted was being run by three brothers. One brother is in Pakistan, second in Libya and the third in Europe, he added.
Meanwhile, the additional advocate general (AAG) told the court that a summary would be approved by the prime minister within a few days.
On this, the CJP remarked, “I want a result within hours. If summaries continue to come and go, then the government’s tenure would come to end. People died in Turbat and these people are dying at the hands of human traffickers.”
The FIA DG told the court that the agency was not empowered to prevent the accused persons from fleeing to other countries. The accused could flee from any airport of Pakistan, he added. He further said that most of the people were smuggled from Gujarat area of Punjab.
The court remarked that a three-member committee, headed by the interior ministry secretary, had given its recommendations for curbing human trafficking in the country. The federal government had to take steps in the light of the proposals put forth by the committee.
The court ordered that the recommendations of the committee should be implemented within one month and a report in this connection should be submitted at the earliest. Later, the court adjourned the hearing of the case for one month.