Senate committee passes anti-human smuggling bill

ISLAMABAD: The Senate‘s standing committee on the interior has strongly acted against the human smuggling syndicate by adopting the Prevention of Migrants Smuggling bill, which was submitted unanimously. 

In the committee held under the convenorship of Senator Faisal Saleem, the government-submitted bill for the Prevention of Migrants Smuggling was discussed and aimed at overcoming the rising occurrences of human trafficking. Senate committee passes anti-human smuggling bill.

Interior Secretary Khurram Agha said that the bill is important, as it proposes steps for conviction and sentences. It will make the framework more powerful to address the issue.

Senator Shahadat Awan said that with the increase in the sentence for the offense from seven years to 10 years, the accused will not be able to get early bail.

The unanimous passage of the bill is a good step towards curbing human smuggling. In addition, the law ministry official revealed that the sentences have also been increased for those assisting or facilitating beggars, with facilitators and those forcing people into begging facing a 10-year jail term under the law.