ABBOTTABAD: Deputy Director Labour Hazara Division, Faizullah Khan on Thursday said that human trafficking and bonded labour were serious crimes and legal actions would be taken against those involved in such illicit activities.
Talking to the media here, he said that human trafficking referred to the act of recruiting, transporting, harboring or obtaining a person through the use of force, deception or coercion for the purpose of exploitation, including forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation.
The Prevention of Human Trafficking Act 2018 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa allows for a sentence of up to seven years or a fine of up to 1 million rupees or both for human trafficking. If the crime of trafficking involves children or women, the penalty can be up to ten years of imprisonment or a fine of up to 1 million rupees or both, he added.
Faiz Ullah Khan said that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sections 369 to 376 of the PPC and the KP Bonded Labour System Act 2015 were utilized to combat human trafficking, forced labor, bonded labor and the trafficking of slaves. He said that the Labour Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had sent 85 cases of trafficking and bonded labor to the police for legal action from August 2022 to date.
He said that additionally, 71 awareness sessions have been conducted, benefiting a total of 2248 participants in the efforts to prevent human trafficking. The role of the Provincial Labour Department, Social Welfare Department, Women Development Department, Police, Child Protection Authority and FIA is crucial in curbing human trafficking, he said.
Faiz Ullah Khan said that the government was committed to combating trafficking. At the same time, the media, civil society and the public have a responsibility to support the government’s efforts by raising awareness and reporting incidents, he expressed.
While talking about World Day Human Trafficking, he said that the Day was observed every year on July 30 and the theme for July 30, 2023 was “reaching every affected person of human trafficking, leaves no one behind.”
The aim of this campaign is to raise awareness about human trafficking trends and to increase efforts from the government, law enforcement agencies, public services, and civil society in preventing, identifying, and assisting victims of trafficking, He added.