ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Bill aimed at taking effective measures to combat and prevent human trafficking.
The bill was moved by State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry. The house rejected amendments put forward by PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokar after 10 votes were cast in favour of the amendments and 19 cast against them.
The bill aims to provide effective measures to prevent and combat trafficking of women and children especially; to promote and facilitate national and international cooperation in this regard; to protect the trafficking victims and to provide for matters connected therewith or ancillary thereto.
The statement of objects and reasons says that the object of this act is to target the criminals who exploit desperate people and to protect and assist victims of trafficking, many of whom endure unimaginable hardships in their bid for a better life.
In pursuance of this aim, the act addresses three specific areas: (a) the prevention and combating of trafficking in persons in Pakistan; (b) the protection and assistance of victims of such trafficking; and (c) the promotion and facilitation of national and international cooperation in this respect.
While trafficking in persons may involve men and women of any age, the specific reference to ‘women and children’ highlights the fact that women and children are especially vulnerable to trafficking. The bill seeks to achieve the aforesaid objective.
