Minister for resolving human trafficking, bonded labour issues

LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Social Welfare Syed Yawar Bokhari said that the human trafficking is one the major issue that needs to be addressed in the provinces; he said this while addressing a Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO) meeting of parliamentarians of Punjab and Sindh and officials of various departments on Thursday.

Provincial Minister said there is a need to allocate the resources to address the issues of the human trafficking and protect the victims. “Social Welfare Department will collaborate with SSDO to devise a provincial action plan to counter the human trafficking and bonded labour in Punjab. The provincial government will allocate the resources for victim protection centres and devise a mechanism to provide rehabilitation to the victims of the trafficking,” he said.

He said the females are being abused through trafficking and the govt is taking strict actions against the traffickers. District level Stakeholders Working Group has been launched for combating human trafficking and bonded labour in Pakistan, he said.

Syed Kausar Abbas, the Executive Director of SSDO informed that SSDO is starting a two-year intervention to engage all relevant stakeholders to form Parliamentary Working Group and other Stakeholder Working Groups.

Dr Farhan Navid Yousaf said that in our country there is need to take effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and elimination all forms of forced labour, abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. He stressed on the need to have proper coordination of various relevant departments to at least develop database of human trafficking cases so as to develop strategic plan to address the issue.

Certificates: First batch of 25 women under the umbrella of Department of Social Welfare Punjab completed the Digital Marketing Course.

Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal Director General Mudasser Riaz Malik visited Sanatzar Centre and distributed certificates among the women. He announced that digital courses would be made free-of-cost from January 2022 on the directions of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. He said that in view of the increasing demand for digital marketing, an MoU had been signed between the Department of Social Welfare and Punjab University under which the master trainers of Punjab University would conduct three courses a year.

Coordinator: Post Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Principal Prof Dr Al-freed Zafar appointed Dr Riaz Hafeez of grade-19 as a coordinator in Lahore General Hospital (LGH) to ensure complete guidance to people regarding health card. Dr Riaz Hafeez will oversee matters related to New Pakistan Health Card. Prof Al-freed Zafar directed Dr Riaz Hafeez to launch a massive public awareness campaign in this regard.

The PGMI principal said health card is the best gift of year 2022 by the prime minister. He said this revolutionary initiative will bring better healthcare facilities to the common man. LGH MS Dr Amir Ghafoor Mufti appealed to the citizens to ensure proper and timely use of the card system take full advantage of this facility provided by the government.