28 November 2004	Sunday	15 Shawwal 1425

PESHAWAR, Nov 27: Federal Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said on Saturday that a fully-fledged anti-trafficking wing had started functioning in the FIA to effectively check growing menace of human smuggling.

Talking to reporters at the Peshawar Airport after inspecting various FIA immigration counters, the interior minister said that a legislation to streamline the anti-trafficking laws was under consideration of the Law Division with main focus on enhancing the punishment for criminals involved in these unethical and immoral acts.

However, he expressed satisfaction over existing laws and said that the process of inquiry and prosecution of the cases had been improved and during the current year 46 human traffickers had been convicted.

Apart from the legislation, he said, efforts were on to create public awareness and educate the people by launching campaigns so that innocent people did not fall prey to wicked traps of smugglers.

Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said on all exit and entry points, routes checkpoints equipped with all necessary equipment had been set up to monitor the human smuggling. Shelter houses would be set up at the Islamabad Airport on experimental basis to keep the arrested women for questioning and debriefing.-APP