Karachi (KASHIF SHAMIM SIDDIQUI): In a pivotal step towards addressing the pressing issue of human trafficking, SHARP-Pakistan organized a consultative workshop under the “Advocacy for Combating Human Trafficking” (ACT) project.
The event, held at a local hotel in Karachi, brought together a diverse group of stakeholders committed to combatting human trafficking in Pakistan. The project is funded by AustralianAid through the Australian High Commission in Islamabad. SHARP-Pakistan thanks Australian High Commission to help and facilitate Pakistan in curbing and eradicating human trafficking.
The workshop commenced with a warm welcome from Mr. Muhammad Mudassar Sanghaira, CEO of SHARP-Pakistan, who expressed gratitude for the support of AustralianAid. In his opening remarks, Sanghaira emphasized the shared commitment to combating human trafficking and the importance of collaboration in addressing this grave issue.”The ACT project is driven by a collective mission to educate and sensitize individuals about the true nature of human trafficking and its dire consequences.
Through targeted awareness campaigns, we aim to equip potential victims with accurate information to make informed decisions about migration, evaluate job offers, and seek help if faced with trafficking,” remarked Mr. Sanghaira.
Ms. Manam Hanfi, project coordinator, highlighted the significance of consultative workshops as crucial platforms for engagement, providing an opportunity for diverse perspectives and experiences to come together in the fight against human trafficking. She gave a detailed presentation on the Smuggling of the Migrants Act and Prevention of Trafficking in People ACT (2018) and opened the floor for discussion and recommendations on the drawbacks in the policy advocacy and implementation of the acts.
Mr. Sikandar Mehmood, Field Manager Karachi, facilitated the breakout session which focused on recommendations from the participants on prevention, victim support, Law enforcement & Policy advocacy and technology with reference to Human Trafficking in Pakistan. The participants urged the government to include civil society representatives in the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) committees.
The participants highly recommended the capacity building workshops and awareness raising sessions for the law enforcement agencies, development of referral mechanism and data collection through software application and/or system. Their endorsement reflects the broader societal commitment to collaborative efforts in combating human trafficking.Through this project the ACT team has conducted twelve awareness raising session with youth and community members in Mandi Bahauddin, Swat, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Karachi and Mianwali.
Three more consultative session are to be held in Lahore, Gujrat and Peshawar to be followed by a policy dialogue in Islamabad.
