LAHORE, July 12: The proposed amendments to the Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance 2002 and the Immigration Ordinance 1979 have yet to be tabled in the National Assembly for legislation despite the draft law was approved by its (NA) standing committee (on law) last year.

The Federal Investigation Agency had proposed amendments to immigration laws primarily to seek more punishment for human smugglers and the removal of difficulties in dispensation of justice.

An agency’s senior officer told Dawn on Wednesday that the draft law approved by the standing committee after deliberations should have been tabled in the NA for approval a bit earlier considering its importance in curbing human smuggling. “The interior ministry must take special interest in getting the draft law approved as early as possible,” he suggested.

Federal Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao had also reiterated on several occasions that certain amendments were being made to immigration laws to control human smuggling more effectively.

The major amendments incorporated in immigration laws include a 14-year of imprisonment to human smugglers, change of human trafficking definition and setting up of a separate court in every district to trial cases related to human smuggling.

Under existing immigration laws, no punishment has been proposed for a person who pays money to an (travel) agent for the preparation of fake travel documents. Such a person is considered victim.

Under the proposed law, a seven-year of imprisonment will be awarded to passengers who travel abroad knowingly that they possess tampered with documents.

Sources said that more punishment had also been proposed in the draft law for the people who fraudulently take children and women abroad and force them to work against their will.

Under existing laws, the challan of an accused is submitted before the special judge (central) and a magistrate under the human trafficking ordinance and immigration ordinance, respectively. “The proposed setting up of a special court in every district would remove this problem,” the officer said and hoped that proposed amendments would certainly help control the human smuggling menace.