| “In 2004, 479 trafficking-related cases were registered, 289 individuals arrested, 248 cases filed and 72 were convicted, the report says citing cases in which law-enforcement officials "mistakenly" identified trafficking victims as voluntary participants in human smuggling and initiated criminal procedures against them...” |
A recent report titled 'Fading light: A Study on Child Trafficking', points out the lack of recognition of complexities involving domestic child kidnapping, smuggling and trafficking in the country's existing laws. In 2002, the government introduced the Human Trafficking Law, proposing imprisonment for human traffickers and compensation to victims but the law addresses only international trafficking and neglects the domestic, the report says. In 2004, 479 trafficking-related cases were registered, 289 individuals arrested, 248 cases filed and 72 were convicted, the report says citing cases in which law-enforcement officials "mistakenly" identified trafficking victims as voluntary participants in human smuggling and initiated criminal procedures against them, highlighting the need for training on the distinction between trafficking and smuggling. Based on the findings of the report in 2001 and 2003, as many as 39,157 male and 2,061 female children were trafficked from rural to rural and urban areas within and from Sindh, with or without their consent.