PM Shehbaz to head Special Task Force to combat human trafficking

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Friday formed a Special Task Force with himself as head to combat human trafficking syndicates operating in the country.

Chairing a review meeting regarding steps to curb human trafficking in Pakistan, PM Shehbaz vowed to bring the perpetrators involved in human trafficking to justice.

The prime minister urged all relevant ministries, including the foreign ministry, to actively participate in identifying people traffickers in order to expedite the pace of arrests of those involved in the crime.

PM Shehbaz said how terribly pained he and the rest of the country were by the tragic deaths of Pakistanis in an illegal immigration boat.

PM Shehbaz was briefed at the discussion on the organizations responsible for the deaths of Pakistanis in the illegal immigrant boat event, the arrests made by Pakistani authorities, the FIRs that were filed, and the next steps.

The meeting was informed that six organized human trafficking groups had been identified, 12 FIRs filed, 25 individuals identified, three key suspects arrested, and the names of 16 individuals had been added to the passport control list.

The meeting was also briefed on the seizure of vehicles, bank accounts, and assets.

The meeting was also updated on the actions taken against suspected FIA personnel and officers. Besides it was also informed about the report from the overseas investigative committee.

The prime minister instructed to identify the human trafficking groups and exemplary punishment should be given to them.

The meeting was attended by federal ministers Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Azam Nazir Tarar, Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi, and other senior officials.

Earlier in the day, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested three suspects, including an alleged human trafficker implicated in the recent Morocco boat tragedy, in a crackdown on human smuggling operations

The accused, identified as Waqas Ashraf, Rana Muhammad Farhan, and Muhammad Adil, were taken into custody by the FIA’s Gujranwala chapter. Waqas Ashraf, in particular, has been linked to the Morocco boat accident and was arrested in Sambrial.

According to the FIA spokesperson, the accused attempted to smuggle a citizen to Spain via Morocco, with the individual first being sent to Mauritania. The alleged traffickers received over Rs 5.3 million from the victim Amir Ali’s family for the smuggling operation.

Moroccan authorities rescued Aamir Ali, who was injured in a boat accident and his name is included in the list issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.