Human trafficking is one of the most significant global and social problems that is also being faced by our beloved land, which is a shameful crime that is threatening millions of lives across and within the border. It is an utter violation of human rights. According to the United Nations, human trafficking is an illegal act of transporting, receiving, or smuggling, a person using force, and various other illegal means to exploit the victims. It is a domain of charged values, taboos, and principles, mostly regarding “sex trafficking,” which made the issue highly contested.
Given the socially and politically charged nature of trafficking, it is necessary to come across the cultural assumptions embedded. At the local level, human trafficking in Pakistan has caused significant damage. It also has a psychological impact on vulnerable figures that include depression; post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders; thoughts of suicide; and somatic conditions.
It is a silent alarm for the world to investigate the matter, as networks are hard to detect. According to experts, as COVID-19 has shattered the world’s economy, human trafficking will be on the rise and prevalent among poor communities. The trafficking in Persons Report of 2022 identified 21,253 trafficking victims in Pakistan. Human traffickers tend to abuse the most vulnerable victims of the community.
Pakistan is a developing country that has been jeopardized by this illegal trade, due to the widespread poverty, absence of resources for people in general, and failure of the government to act against such inhumane practices, especially women and children are among the greatest victims of human trafficking in Pakistan. Poverty indeed has constrained a considerable number of women into marrying for cash, without their consent, as a method for taking care of their helpless families.
At the same time, some are sold as repayments of debt in rural areas which is astonishing, and the development of these illegal operations can also be attributed to the high illiteracy rate in Pakistan. Many girls are restrained from education for fear of being kidnapped or abused. Freedom in a free nation seems to be in a prison. However, there are anti-trafficking organizations and judicial measures to combat the issue, but it is not working up to the level. In a nutshell, the government must take this issue seriously by implementing human trafficking laws and making sure to put the culprits behind bars that is the only way forward.
