Headlines 1200 6th February 2018

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday summoned interior and foreign secretaries in a case pertaining to human trafficking in the country, especially Punjab where a number of such cases have surfaced lately.

Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, a three-judge bench also summoned Advocate General of Punjab to assist it in the case.

The court observed there were issues stemming from lack of coordination between the state institutions.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general informed that Gujranwala was hit hard by the human trafficking issue.

To this, the judges pointed out that people-trafficking was also rife in Gujrat, Lala Musa, Sarae Alamgir, Mandi Bahauddin.

“The ulcer of human-smuggling has to be eradicated,” CJP observed.

He said the court will direct Punjab police to assist the FIA in fighting the menace.

Last week, a boat full of migrants capsized off the Libyan coast, drowning all the people. More than two dozen Pakistanis were among those feared to have drowned.

A Foreign Office spokesperson had said earlier that 32 of total 90 people were Pakistani nationals and dead bodies of 13 Pakistanis had been identified.