NA Passes Three Bills to Tackle Human Trafficking and Migrant Protection
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly has passed three important bills aimed at combating human trafficking and safeguarding vulnerable Pakistani migrants, The News reported on Tuesday.
Key Legislation Passed The 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 — were introduced by Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazir Tarar. The amendments come in response to alarming reports of migrant deaths in recent months.
Increased Punishments and Jurisdiction Changes The proposed amendments include stricter penalties for offenders and a shift in trial jurisdiction from magistrate courts to sessions courts. This change aims to speed up the judicial process for trafficking cases. Under the new provisions, punishments for traffickers have been increased from three to five and seven years. Additionally, fines will be raised from Rs0.5 million to Rs3 million and Rs5 million. For repeat offenders, imprisonment has been extended from 10 years to 14 years, with fines increasing from Rs1 million to Rs10 million, along with the confiscation of property.
Government’s Crackdown on Human Trafficking Minister Tarar highlighted that the government had launched a crackdown on human trafficking gangs, leading to several arrests. He emphasized that these bills were introduced with the sole purpose of addressing a critical issue, stressing that no politics were involved in this matter.
Opposition’s Criticism and Walkout While the bills received approval, opposition members, including Yousaf Khan, raised concerns about a lack of quorum during the legislation process and staged a walkout. However, the quorum was later found to be in order.
Additional Legislative Measures In addition to the trafficking-related bills, the National Assembly also passed the Civil Courts (Amendment) Bill 2024 and the Pakistan Coast Guards (Amendment) Bill 2024. The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill 2025 was introduced and referred to the relevant standing committee. Under this new legislation, civil servants in grades BPS-17 to BPS-22 will be required to declare their assets.
A Step Towards Migrant Safety The new legislative measures reflect the government’s ongoing efforts to protect Pakistan’s migrant population, which has become increasingly vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking.
Key Points:
-
Three Key Bills Passed: The National Assembly passed the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons (Amendment) Bill 2025, Emigration (Amendment) Bill 2025, and Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants (Amendment) Bill 2025 to combat human trafficking and protect vulnerable migrants.
-
Stricter Punishments: Punishments for human traffickers have been increased from three to five and seven years. Fines have been raised from Rs0.5 million to Rs3 million and Rs5 million. Repeat offenders face 14 years of imprisonment and fines up to Rs10 million, along with property confiscation.
-
Shift in Jurisdiction: Trials for trafficking cases will now be handled by sessions courts instead of magistrate courts to expedite the judicial process.
-
Government Crackdown: The government has intensified efforts against human trafficking, with several gangs arrested and ongoing investigations. Special committees have been formed, and the Prime Minister holds bi-weekly meetings on the issue.
-
Opposition’s Protest: Opposition members raised concerns about quorum during the proceedings and staged a walkout, but the quorum was found to be in order.
-
Other Legislative Measures: The Civil Courts (Amendment) Bill 2024 and Pakistan Coast Guards (Amendment) Bill 2024 were also passed. The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill 2025 was introduced, requiring civil servants in BPS-17 to BPS-22 to declare their assets.
-
Increased Focus on Migrant Safety: The bills aim to protect Pakistani migrants, addressing the rising number of deaths among illegal migrants in recent months.