People dying in Turbat at the hands of human smugglers: CJP

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Tuesday said people in Turbat are dying at the hands of human smugglers and the Supreme Court wants quick results on this issue. The Supreme Court ordered the implementation of recommendations forwarded by a government committee for curbing human trafficking within a month. A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, took up for hearing a case pertaining to the recovery of bodies of labourers from Turbat.

The chief justice inquired from the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) how many gangs involved in human trafficking had been busted. “Tell us what type of assistance you need in the province,” the chief justice asked.

The DG FIA said they had to work within possible available resources. “In one gang, there are three brothers. One brother is in Pakistan, the second in Libya and third in Europe,” he told the court. The additional advocate general told the court that a summary in this regard will be approved by the prime minister within a few days. The CJP remarked, “I want results within hours. If summaries continue to come and go, then the government tenure will come to end. People died in Turbat. These people are dying at the hands of human traffickers.”

The DG FIA said the Agency is not empowered to prevent the accused from fleeing to other countries. He said the accused can escape through any airport of Pakistan. He said most of people are smuggled from Gujrat and those who reach Europe consider them the luckiest persons. The FIA needs funds as well.

The court remarked that a three-member committee headed by the secretary Interior Ministry has given its recommendations for curbing human trafficking. It said the federal government has to take steps in the light of these proposals of the committee. The court ordered that recommendations of the committee be implemented within a month and the report thereof be submitted.