SHC orders constitution of JIT to probe trafficking of orphans

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the provincial home department to constitute a joint investigation team (JIT) comprising members of all the investigation agencies, including the Inter-Services Intelligence and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), to investigate trafficking of orphans and sale of their organs.

The high court directed that the JIT would probe causes and reasons for the failure of freewill marriages that take place through social media, observing that such marriages due to social media often resulted in human trafficking.

The direction came in a case pertaining to the rights of orphans and homeless children and implementation of the orphanage laws. A single bench of the SHC headed by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar observed that the FIA had filed an interim report with regard to the human trafficking of orphans and girls who contracted marriage through social media.

The bench observed that it had come on record that FIA officials failed to record a statement of Fauzia Ashraf, former director of the woman development department, for the reason that she had retired.

The SHC remarked that the report reflected that the Sindh police had failed to provide details of cases or inquiries with regard to human trafficking.

The bench also took exception to the failure of the social welfare department to collect data from private shelter homes and get them registered under the law.

The high court also directed that the social welfare department with the consultation of the Child Protection Authority shall form standard operating procedures for the orphans centres that shall be bound to provide details about their children. The SHC directed that when public would be invited for adoption, such an exercise shall be carried out under the supervision of a magistrate having jurisdiction and there shall be bounds and undertakings with regard to the care of ophans.

The high court had earlier directed an FIA officer to visit all the orphanage centres and secure all data of inmates with regard to their marriages, adoption and death during the last 10 years.

Regarding the monitoring of orphanages and reunion of abandoned children with their parents, the high court directed the district judges to appoint judicial magistrates for surprise visits to orphanages, houses and schools to record statements of those minors in a situation where they could say their minds with trust.

The SHC observed that the magistrates would be competent to direct the police and social welfare department officers concerned to join their proceedings.