Human trafficking through marriages among IDPs feared

PESHAWAR : Representatives of civil societies, while expressing grave apprehension of human trafficking from different camps set up for displaced families of Malakand division, have stressed upon the departments concerned to hold probe into marriages held during stay of IDPs at the relief camps. "A complete scrutiny of nuptial ceremonies held at the camps of IDPs should be held for ensuring that distressed and suffering displaced families are not exploited by any one," remarked Said Afzal Shinwari, Programme Officer CAMP, an NGO working against human trafficking. A number of unconfirmed reports have been received about trafficking of girls through arranging fake marriages at the camps, he added. Afzal said some of the displaced families were passing through such a difficult situation that they openly expressed willingness for marrying of their daughters to any one. He said reports about missing of children and girls during displacement of people from Malakand to safer places is not hidden from any one. He said apart from mass marriages which were arranged through the permission of camp incharges and other concerned officials, people involved in this heinous crime have used touts for arranging weddings of poor girls with fake grooms. Afzal Shinwari said government should take notice of the issue and order probe into marriages held at camps and for saving people from being sold out. Similarly, immediate measures should be taken for recovery of missing people from Malakand division. He also appreciated government decision of putting ban on child adoption from camps as a result of which displaced children were saved from human traffickers. He also informed that CAMP has set up a Counter Trafficking Technical Working Group, comprising of NGOs, lawyers, law enforcers, media persons and government officials, with the objective of developing a stronger and institutionalized role towards the elimination of human trafficking. Similarly, he added, FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) has also been approached for taking action against human trafficking. He said though the IDPs from Malakand have returned to their homes, but the camps in Tank and D.I.Khan are filled with migrants from South Waziristan Agency.