startling disclosure.
Citing NGOs and police, he said there were markets in Pakistan where girls and women were bought and sold for sex and labour. “Militant groups kidnap children or coerce parents with fraudulent promises into giving away children as young as 12 to spy, fight, or die as suicide bombers. The militants often sexually and physically abuse the children and use psychological coercion to convince the children that the acts they commit are justified,” Khan said.
Citing FIA’s Red Book, he said, the number of most-wanted human trafficking networks in Pakistan was 141 last year, 132 in 2012 and 95 in 2011. “The majority of these human traffickers belonged to Gujrat and Gujranwala, while the rest were from Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Mandi Bahauddin and Azad Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
He went on to say that the situation has aggravated further due to the country’s porous borders and huge lapses in the law and order system. “Advancements in technology have also made it easier for traffickers to communicate and coordinate across borders and carry out their operations in a more systematic manner.”
He said victims of trafficking experience feelings of helplessness, guilt, self-blame, shame, humiliation, depression and post-traumatic disorder. “In some cases, victims also resort to substance abuse to curb their depression which exacerbates the problem,” he said.
In his presentation, DIG Rapid Response Force Dr Aftab Pathan discussed internal trafficking and revealed that 62 cases of kidnapping or abducting a person under the age of 10 were registered under 364-A PPC in 2014. Twenty-three were sent for trial but there was zero conviction.
He said there were 19 cases of pending trial in this category; amongst them 13 were male, eight female and 61 children below 18.
The DIG said under the 365-B PPC 1569, cases were registered for kidnapping or abduction of inducting women to compel for marriage. Out of them 521 were sent for trial but there were only five convictions.
The number of pending trials was 425, including one male, 1352 females and 191 children below 18. Under 496-A PPC 418 cases were registered in 2014 for enticing or taking away or detaining with criminal intent a woman. Out of them 65 were sent for trial but none was convicted.
The number of pending trial was 64 and amongst them 415 were women and 20 children below 18.
Sarim Burney of Sarim Burney International Trust said there have been instances when babies were trafficked in carpets.
DIG Abdul Khaliq Sheikh said: “TIP is mother of all evils.” He said forced labour and child abuse were off shoots of the TIP.
He said Pakistan has an international obligation to eliminate slavery and acknowledged that there were laws but no linkages between different agencies to eliminate the menace of the TIP.
Zia Awan advocate said there was no law on adoption and false adoption culminates in trafficking.