ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary body on Tuesday passed two bills seeking to enhance punishment and fines against the perpetrators of migrant smuggling as well as human trafficking.
The Senate Standing Committee on Interior which met with Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman passed the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrant (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons (Amendment) Act, 2025.
The Ministry of Interior secretary told the committee that under the bill, anyone caught smuggling migrants will face punishment which may extend to 10 years in prison and a fine of Rs 10 million.
The main objective of the amendment is to create deterrence among the perpetrators, the minimum and maximum limit of the sentence has been enhanced, he said.
According to the statement of objects and reasons of the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrant (Amendment) Bill, 2025 to effectively enforce the provisions of the Act, 2018, and to create further deterrence amongst culprits by enhancing the punishments, and to monitor the activities of the members of the Criminal Organised Group and other connected individuals as a preventive measure, and to conduct trials by the Special Court (Central).
The statement of objects and reasons of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons (Amendment) Act, 2025, the prevention of trafficking in persons act 2018 has been enacted to provide for effective measures to prevent and combat the trafficking in persons especially women and children; to promote and facilitate national and international co-operation in this regard.
It says that to effectively enforce the provisions of the Act, 2018, and to create further deterrence amongst culprits by enhancing the punishments, and to monitor the activities of the members of the Criminal Organised Group and other connected individuals as a preventive measure and to remove anomalies and overlapping of the laws between the provisions of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act 2018, Pakistan Penal Code 1860, and Bonded Labour Directive System (Abolition) Act 1992.
It says that moreover, the diplomatic missions of Pakistan at GCC countries, Iraq and Malaysia have highlighted that some Pakistanis who come to these countries for Hajj, Umrah, Ziarat and personal visits are involved in beggary.
They have urged Pakistani authorities to take stern action against those involved in begging and the gangs behind them.
The agents and gangs who are involved in this practice easily dodge prosecution as beggary is not a crime in any law entrusted to FIA, it says.
The committee also discussed, “The Emigration (Amendment) Bill, 2025”. Officials from the FIA reported that fines for offenders have been increased to one million rupees.
They further added that extending imprisonment sentences would serve as a stronger deterrent against violations.
The committee discussed the revamping of Parliament Lodges. Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa briefed the parliamentary body on the inordinate delays and project progress.
He told the committee that a summary for the complete revamping of Parliament Lodges had been submitted to the Interior Ministry and if funds were allocated in the current budget, the full revamping of lodges will be completed soon.
He added that the available budget had already been reviewed and approval secured.
The parliamentary body was informed that the project initially commenced in 2011 but faced land-related issues.
Its completion was originally scheduled for 2013, but the timeline was extended due to complications, said another senior official of the CDA, adding that two organisations occupied land that originally belonged to the CDA, further delaying the project.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.