December 10, 2005	Saturday	Ziqa’ad 7, 1426

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 9: Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao informed the National Assembly on Friday that 153 persons had been arrested during the last three years for smuggling out children from the country but denied that the crime was on the rise.

Of them 107 hailed from Rahim Yar Khan alone, he said replying to a question raised by Saima Raheel Qazi of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.

Offences relating to human trafficking were made cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable in the Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance promulgated in 2002. Traffickers were to be prosecuted in special courts and maximum punishment was enhanced to 14 years imprisonment. However, according to the minister, of the 153 charged with the crime, two were given three years rigorous imprisonment with fine of Rs15,000 each and eight others simple imprisonment with lesser amounts in fine.

Victims of trafficking have been given protection and their welfare and rehabilitation has been ensured. The role of civil society and NGOs in it has been recognized and given legal cover, the minister stressed.

An anti-trafficking unit has been established in the FIA headquarters “to effectively control the menace of human trafficking”, he added.

Computerized national identity cards (CNICs) and machine readable passports have been introduced to control smuggling of children on forged/defective travel documents, the minister said.

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