FILE PHOTO
ISLAMABAD: Interior Ministry officials have revealed that approximately 10,000 Pakistanis are currently stranded in the forests of Myanmar (Burma) and Cambodia, according to reports received from Kuala Lumpur.
The alarming disclosure came during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Rights, chaired by Sahibzada Hamid Raza. In response, the committee has directed the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to submit a detailed report on the matter.
During the briefing, Federal Investigation Agency officials informed the committee that three boat accidents involving illegal migrants have occurred this year alone. The agency has registered cases against 12 FIA officers, and departmental action has been initiated against four senior officials involved.
FIA representatives added that they have frozen multiple bank accounts used by human traffickers, some of which were registered under relatives’ names. The agency is now in contact with European Union authorities and other international partners in an effort to curb human smuggling.
Committee Chairman Hamid Raza also expressed concern over the impact of social media, pointing out that viral wedding videos featuring foreigners throwing dollars and pounds have contributed to growing public disillusionment. FIA officials responded by saying that uploading such videos is not currently a punishable offense under existing laws.
The incident underscores the need for stronger legal measures, international cooperation, and public awareness campaigns to tackle the rising threat of human trafficking from Pakistan.
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