ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has taken notice of a petition filed by families of Pakistani citizens allegedly trafficked to Myanmar, directing key government departments to address the issue and submit a progress report.

A lawyer informed the court that 10 relatives of the petitioners were lured abroad along with scores of other people by a man identified as Malik Asad Awan with false promises of employment in Thailand and Malaysia. After traveling on valid visas, they were reportedly abducted and taken to labour camps in Myanmar. The victims later managed to communicate with their families, detailing their ordeal.

Despite repeated appeals to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) since October this year, the families alleged that no significant action had been taken for the victims’ recovery or safe return.

In its directive, the IHC issued notices to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior and the FIA, instructing them to provide the petitioners or their representatives an opportunity to present their grievances. The court also ordered these authorities to make concerted efforts to address the issue and submit a report of their progress by the next hearing date.

The petition, filed under Article 199 of the Constitution, accused the authorities concerned of failing to protect the victims and ensure their safe return.

The petitioners, hailing from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Muzaffarabad, and other areas, detailed how their loved ones were lured abroad with false promises of employment. The victims traveled to Thailand and Malaysia on valid visit visas but were kidnapped and transported to Myanmar, where they were allegedly held in labour camps under inhumane conditions.

The petitioners alleged that the victims were also subjected to physical torture, forced to participate in illegal activities and faced demands for ransom. The relatives of the petitioners, including a woman, were in their early 20s and 30s.

The petition highlighted the inaction of the authorities as a violation of the victims’ fundamental rights under Articles 4, 9, 10-A, 14, and 25 of the Constitution.

It also called attention to Pakistan’s obligations under international frameworks, including the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2024