ISLAMABAD: More than 60 officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have been found involved in human trafficking, according to a report submitted to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on human smuggling networks.
The inquiry was conducted after a tragic incident off the coast of southern Greek, where a boat capsized on June 14, 2023, leading to the deaths of over 286 Pakistanis.
The inquiry has raised serious questions about the role of FIA immigration officials deputed at different exit points across various cities.
The inquiry report has revealed that 155 of the passengers who lost their lives in Greek had departed from Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport.
According to the inquiry findings, the victims’ journey was part of a larger migration pattern involving questionable travel routes, especially to Libya, where the purpose of the visit was unclear.
A major human trafficking network has been uncovered within the FIA, with 61 of its officials found involved in human trafficking.
A final report recommending the dismissal of 38 officials from service has been presented to the Prime Minister’s Office.
According to sources in the FIA, these 61 personnel were involved in sending people abroad, particularly those who perished in three boat accidents off the Greek island.
In the past two months, three reports related to human trafficking have been submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Also read: Human trafficking: FIA arrests two men from Gujranwala
One report was presented by Ihsan Sadiq and the other by Mushtaq Sekhera. The sources said that the reports highlighted the involvement of two senior FIA officers in human trafficking.
Additionally, it was revealed that the British government had filed complaints against these two senior FIA officers. The names of these 61 FIA officers and personnel have been added to the passport control list. Disciplinary action has already begun against 21 officials, many of them were officers.
Hum Investigation Team learnt that 31 officers, inspectors, sub-inspectors, and other staff were found to have been colluding with human traffickers involving the Greek boat.
These FIA personnel, in collaboration with human traffickers, facilitated the illegal travel of over 4,000 Pakistanis to Greece. The accused personnel included 20 from Faisalabad, nine from Sialkot, nine from Quetta, seven from Lahore, nine from Peshawar, four from Karachi and three from Islamabad airports.
Two officers from Lahore airport and five from Quetta airport have also been found in human trafficking. The boat tragedy, which involved more than 350 Pakistani passengers, left the authorities grappling with the issue of human smuggling and the migration of individuals under questionable circumstances.
The victims, many of whom were seeking employment abroad, were reportedly travelling on visit visas, despite Libya, their intended destination, being a war-torn country.
The officials involved in clearing the passengers from the Jinnah International Airport have come under scrutiny for their handling of the situation.
In their defence, the delinquent officers stated that the movement of passengers was minimal and did not constitute a recognizable trend. They argued that only a small number of individuals were cleared for the alleged destination and that the increase in passengers from Punjab and other regions did not point to any illicit connection between immigration staff and human trafficking agents.
However, the inquiry found this reasoning insufficient. It was noted that the frequent departures to Libya, coupled with the absence of any Pakistani travel advisories or restrictions from Libyan authorities, should have raised red flags.
The inquiry concluded that the supervisory officers and shift in charges failed to recognize the pattern of unusual departures to Libya, a country where tourism is no longer a major attraction due to ongoing conflict.
The inquiry further emphasized that immigration officers, although working under strained conditions, must remain vigilant to potential signs of human trafficking and illegal migration.
Despite the adherence to standing orders, the report found a significant gap in the officers’ ability to detect such illegal migration efforts.
In light of these findings, the inquiry recommended severe disciplinary action against the supervisory officers and shift in-charges responsible for clearing the passengers. It suggested that these individuals should be awarded major punishment under the Civil Servants Efficiency & Discipline (E&D) Rules, 2020, which may include dismissal from service.
The report also issued a show cause notices to the implicated officers, asking them to present their written reply within 10 days. Failure to do so would result in the acceptance of the charges and the initiation of disciplinary proceedings.
