Caretaker Minister for Information andBroadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi on Tuesday saidthat the issue of human trafficking would remain an insurmountablemenace unless the overall economic situation of the country was improvedbenefiting the downtrodden masses who risk their lives for pursuingbetter future abroad through illicit means.
The minister was responding to various queries raised by the Senatorsduring the fourth meeting of the 334th Session of the Senate held hereunder a limited presence of the members of the Upper House.
The questions pertaining to the government measures and their outcomesto curb the human of human trafficking were put to the floor by SenatorKamran Murtaza of JamiaatUlema-i-Islam Pakistan (JUI-P), SenatorMushtaq Ahmed Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JIP) and independentSenator NuzhatSadiq.
Solangi noted that the Senators had raised important points, whereas thesolution lied in the fact that the country had to fix its economy. Hesaid that the state as per its capacity, was taking measures but theissue demanded a holistic and national approach towards it.
“Unless the underlying issues are resolved, things will not improve. Weare going into the election process, the senators, should pay attentionto the basic issues; establish a plan and consensus on the economicdirection of the country so that our children do not give their lives indifferent seas and deserts of the world,” MurtazaSolangi said.
In response to Senator Mushtaq’s question seeking response pertaining tohuman trafficking through land routes and involvement of the authoritieslinked to the border areas’ management, the minister said that thecomplaint of human trafficking was true to a certain extent, but theissue of corruption was not of today, it was the problem of the system.
Referring to the Jinnah’s inaugural address at the creation of the StateBank of Pakistan, the federal minister said, “Quaid-e-Azam’s speech onAugust 11, 1947 also drew attention to this issue.” He also added thatthe awareness was being raised about human trafficking as the state andmedia organizations were also making their efforts in this regard.
MurtazaSolangi emphasized that in order to end human trafficking, thenation needed to fix its economic situation.
