ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday human smuggling incidents involving Pakistani migrants had declined following a series of deadly boat tragedies, crediting law enforcement actions for curbing the crime, which he described as an organized global enterprise of exploitation.
Sharif’s remarks came in a statement marking the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, observed this year under the theme “Human Trafficking: A Coordinated Crime – End Exploitation.”
The message follows a series of maritime tragedies over the past two years in which scores of Pakistanis have drowned while attempting to reach Europe through irregular sea routes.
These included a shipwreck off Greece in mid-2023, a December 2024 incident near the Greek coast, a January 2025 disaster off Morocco and two separate capsizings off the Libyan coast in early and mid-2025.
“To prevent such incidents and bring traffickers to justice, the federal government formed a special task force for timely intervention,” Sharif said in the statement circulated by the Prime Minister’s Office to mark the day.
