ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has established a Special Task Force to curb the groups involved in the menace of human trafficking in Pakistan.
He was chairing a weekly meeting in Islamabad on Friday regarding steps to curb human trafficking in Pakistan. The Prime Minister will lead the Task Force by himself, Radio Pakistan reported.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to bring human traffickers to justice, describing them as the “murderers of humanity.” He directed authorities to intensify efforts to arrest members of the gangs involved in human trafficking and instructed all institutions, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to actively contribute to identifying those responsible.
Expressing profound sorrow over the tragic deaths of Pakistani citizens in a boat carrying illegal immigrants, the Prime Minister said the entire nation, including himself, is deeply grieved by the incident.
Shehbaz Sharif was briefed on the groups responsible for the deaths, actions taken by various institutions in Pakistan, registered FIRs, and the planned course of action to address the issue.
The meeting was informed that so far, six organised human trafficking groups have been identified and 12 FIRs have been registered. It was further told that 26 individuals involved in this heinous crime have been identified, while three key individuals have been arrested, and 16 people have been placed on the passport control list. The meeting was also informed about the details of vehicles, bank accounts, and asset seizures.
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Notably, a tragic incident last week involving migrants attempting to travel from West Africa to Spain resulted in the loss of up to 50 lives, including 44 Pakistanis.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the deaths of several Pakistani nationals in the migrant boat accident and stated that the embassy is coordinating with local authorities.