LAHORE: Senior PML-N leader Khwaja Saad Rafique has called on Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to take urgent action against the rising menace of human trafficking, which continues to claim the lives of Pakistanis attempting illegal migration to Europe.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Rafique expressed concern over the increasing number of Pakistanis losing their lives at sea while falling prey to traffickers. He highlighted that these criminals were operating fearlessly and stressed the need for a firm and sustained crackdown by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to eliminate them completely.
Meanwhile, FIA Lahore has ramped up its efforts against human traffickers, arresting 46 suspects and registering 153 cases in just over a month. According to an FIA spokesperson, the arrested individuals include several most-wanted fugitives and traffickers linked to deadly boat tragedies.
The agency has already submitted charge sheets in 58 cases, with courts convicting and sentencing suspects in 13 of them. FIA Lahore Director Sarfaraz Virk stated that intelligence-based operations were in full swing to track down more offenders.
Virk also urged citizens to avoid illegal migration, warning that it was a perilous and often fatal route. He encouraged people to opt for legal and safe channels for traveling abroad.
