NA passes bills to curb human trafficking

ISLAMABAD: On Monday, the National Assembly passed three bills aimed at preventing human trafficking, a crime that has led to the tragic loss of many Pakistani lives in recent months.

Minister for Law and Justice, Senator Azam Nazir Tarar, introduced three bills: the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Emigration (Amendment) Bill 2025, and the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants (Amendment) Bill 2025. He explained that the legislation was introduced in response to the rising incidents of Pakistani migrants dying while attempting illegal migration.

The minister highlighted that the government had been working on these bills for the past two months, consulting with relevant stakeholders to amend the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act 2018, the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act 2018, and the Emigration Ordinance 1979.

The amendments, he said, aim to increase the severity of punishments for traffickers and require that trials be conducted in sessions courts, rather than magistrate courts, with a set timeline for case resolution. He also mentioned that the government had launched a crackdown on human trafficking gangs, resulting in several arrests.

Under the amendments, penalties for human traffickers would be raised from three to five and seven years, with fines increasing from Rs0.5 million to Rs3 million and Rs5 million. In cases of repeat offenders, the prison sentence would rise from 10 years to 14 years, and fines would be raised from Rs1 million to Rs10 million, along with the confiscation of assets.

The minister expressed disappointment over the opposition’s reaction, noting that opposition members had opposed the bills, protested, and walked out during the legislative proceedings on such an important issue.

“These bills are for a noble cause, with no politics involved, as serious revelations have emerged during investigations,” he stated. He disclosed that traffickers would offer packages to entice vulnerable individuals, including promises that if a family member dies during the journey, the next member of the family would be transported for free. “This is a critical issue, which the prime minister has been addressing in two meetings every week, a special committee has been formed, and dozens of culprits are in custody,” he added.

In addition, the National Assembly also passed the Civil Courts (Amendment) Bill 2024 and the Pakistan Coast Guards (Amendment) Bill 2024.

During the legislative process, opposition member Yousaf Khan raised a point of order regarding a lack of quorum, but the House was found to be in order after a count. The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill 2025, introduced in the House, was referred to the relevant standing committee. The law minister mentioned that, under the proposed legislation, civil servants in BPS-17 to BPS-22 would be required to declare their assets.