HUMAN sale is a dark blot on Pakistan’s conscience. Although global collaborations have attempted to end the scourge, our lawmakers’ efforts remain a letdown. Thousands of Pakistanis are traded annually, yet the conviction rate refuses to improve. Recently, the FIA arrested seven suspects in fake visas, visa fraud and human trafficking cases from Lahore, Sialkot, Multan and Bahawalpur. Separately, the agency has detained a most-wanted human trafficker. The fact that he is a former Elite Force officer who is believed to have been involved in the 2023 Greek boat tragedy is a scathing indictment of the government’s approach to crime. The web of deceit spun by human traffickers expands in times of conflict and deepening poverty: 2025 was the second consecutive year with over 2,700 fatalities worldwide. At least 2,722 persons from the Asia-Pacific region died or disappeared during illegal international migration, according to data collected under the International Organisation for Migration’s Missing Migrants Project. Out of at least 2,471 migrant-related deaths or disappearances that occurred within the Asia-Pacific region, South Asia accounted for 1,547. Overall, Pakistani fatalities stood at a sobering 109.

Clearly, there is a long way to go before the rights of victims of human trafficking and smuggling are guaranteed, and citizens choose not to leave. Law-enforcement has indeed been empowered by many laws. But social sins thrive amid legal ambiguities, influential patronage, corruption and a culture of impunity. The 2018 Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, despite amendments, allows fines instead of mandatory imprisonment, and the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act has been rendered ineffective due to poor enforcement. We cannot be complacent about institutional reforms. It is equally important to remove unethical officers from the relevant departments, the police in particular. Updated data, surveillance, specialised training, resources and incentives for security agencies are crucial to dismantling these lethal transnational networks.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2026