ISLAMABAD, Nov 26: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has criticized the government for its failure in bringing up on the floor of the Senate on Friday the details of alleged involvement of some political figures in human trafficking to Britain.
In a statement here Friday PPP Spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar said the party had asked the foreign minister to state whether the British government had conveyed to Pakistan that important political figures had been involved in the illegal human trade to that country as stated by the British High Commissioner last month.
The party also sought to know the names of the political figures involved and whether any action had been taken against them. However, the question was not even listed in the questions on Friday which was reserved for half a dozen ministries including the foreign office.
The spokesman said according to the Senate order questions about the foreign ministry asked until November 12 had been included in the list. Although the PPP had submitted its question on November 4 yet it was ignored, he added.
Senator Babar said eight questions pertaining to the foreign office were listed for Friday. Of these, four questions had been submitted on November 6 by different senators while the PPP question had been submitted on November 4.
"The PPP demands that Foreign Office come out clean on the allegations against Pakistani politicians' involvement in human trafficking publicly levelled by the British High Commissioner".
High Commissioner Mark-Lyall Grant was quoted by media on September 24 as saying that his government had conveyed to Islamabad that some senior government officials and important political figures had been involved in illegal human trafficking to the UK.
"I will not disclose the names of the persons involved in human smuggling but the relevant information about their involvement has been shared with Pakistani authorities", the high commissioner was quoted as saying.
Mr Grant may have chosen not to disclose the names of politicians for diplomatic propriety but the parliament has a right to demand of the government to come out clean on it, the spokesman said. Senator Babar said the issue would not be allowed to die down and the party would raise it through other parliamentary instruments.