ISLAMABAD, Aug 12: The government has formed a task force to eradicate human smuggling in the country, a source in the interior ministry told Dawn on Friday. The source said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director-general was the head of the force and its members were from Frontier Constabulary, police of the four provinces and Rangers.

The force would focus on Pakistan-Afghanistan border area, Pakistan-Iran border area and coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan. It would detect new ways of human smuggling and launch a countrywide awareness campaign.

The authorities concerned have warned travel agents not to send people abroad on fake and illegal documents, otherwise stern action would be taken against them. Similarly, the owners of hotels have also been directed to take complete information of individuals before giving them rooms for their stay so that people having illegal and fake documents could not get shelter, the source said.

Pakistan has been removed from tier 2 Watch List of the US State Department for human trafficking.

Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao said the government in general and interior ministry in particular put in extra efforts to curb human trafficking. Pakistan’s name had been removed from the list on their annual findings.