August 27; Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) organized a training workshop for the police officials on prevention of human trafficking and forced labor at Police Lines Headquarters, Rawalpindi. The purpose of this session was to enhance capacity and knowledge of the police officials on trafficking in Persons Act 2018 and other human trafficking and forced labor laws.
Pakistan faces the challenges of human trafficking as source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons (TIP), specifically forced labour and prostitution. The internal and external human trafficking is on rise in Pakistan and the marginalized communities are with high ratio of trafficking in person that contains both human trafficking for sex and bonded labor.
SSDO is working on combatting human trafficking and bonded labor in Pakistan through capacity enhancement, strengthening coordination, and awareness raising among all stakeholders including police officials and other law enforcement agencies, officials of concerned government departments, judiciary and prosecution, parliamentarians, academia, media, victim service providers and potential victim communities. SSDO is also developing a comprehensive cross-sectoral approach for prevention, protection, and prosecution of TIP cases.
Waseem Riaz Khan, SSP Operations Islamabad Police, Dr. Naveed Atif, SSP Islamabad, DSP Legal, Syed Kausar Abbas, Executive Director SSDO, Waqar Haider, Senior Consultant, Saleh Mughal, Senior Journalist and investigative officers participated in the training workshop to educate investigative officers on human trafficking and forced labor laws.
During the workshop, Dr. Naveed Atif SSP said that it is our moral and legal responsibility to protect women, children, disabled persons, and trans genders. Waseem Riaz Khan, SSP Operations thanked Sustainable Social Development Organization for organizing the important workshop.
Syed Kausar Abbas, Executive Director SSDO said that SSDO is working closely with police and other stakeholders under the project intervention to help improve the capacity and coordination among the stakeholders to prevent human trafficking and to ensure the implementation of relevant laws. He said that during last 8 months, more than 300 FIRs were registered in Punjab and around 1100 FIRs registered in Sindh on internal trafficking but unfortunately conviction rate is zero which needs huge improvement. The Prosecution have to play its role and police needs to use its investigating tools more effectively.
Waqar Haider Awan said that we have to improve the referral mechanisms and especial focus should be given to the victim protection.
Certificates and shields were distributed to the participants at the end of the event.
