VZCZCXRO0029
PP RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHIL #2941/01 3420300
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 080300Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6303
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 1258
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1947
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 5848
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 2661
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 8260
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 7313
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ISLAMABAD 002941 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ELAB KTIP PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN HUMAN TRAFFICKING INTERIM ASSESSMENT 
 
REF: SECSTATE 114330 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  This cable responds to ref A request for 
an interim assessment of Pakistan's progress in combating 
trafficking in persons (TIP). In response to Pakistan's Tier 
2 Watch List ranking in the 2009 TIP report, the government 
enhanced its efforts to address Pakistan's significant human 
trafficking problems, including bonded and forced labor. The 
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) also provided new data to 
us on anti-TIP activities.  Per the TIP Report's 
recommendation that Pakistan increase labor trafficking law 
enforcement activity, post obtained statistics that indicate 
increased bonded labor releases over previous years.  With 
respect to the recommendation that Pakistan increase activity 
against fraudulent labor recruiting, the government reported 
that it has expanded services in overseas FIA offices and 
that the Bureau of Immigration now maintains a database of 
labor recruiters.  Regarding the recommendation to increase 
law enforcement activity against government complicity in 
trafficking, the government did not have mid-year data 
available on this issue, but promised to provide such data at 
year's end.  In response to the recommendation calling for 
expanded victim protection services, the government initiated 
a formal evaluation of the extent of existing services and 
began providing services overseas to trafficking victims. 
Given the government's response to the deficiencies 
highlighted in the TIP Report, Post assesses that Pakistan 
has made progress, but continues to need significant 
assistance in building anti-TIP capacity.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
PAKISTANI RESPONSE TO TIER 2 WATCHLIST RANKING 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Federal Investigative Agency (FIA), mandated to 
be the national rapporteur for anti-trafficking efforts, 
responded proactively to the TIP Tier 2 Watchlist ranking, 
despite an increasingly unstable political and security 
climate, including two suicide bombs in 2009 on FIA 
facilities. Immediately following the TIP Report release, FIA 
Director General Tariq Khosa and Additional Director General 
of Immigration Iftikhar Ahmed informed federal and provincial 
labor, education and health ministries, provincial chief 
secretaries, and provincial inspectors general of police of 
the report's findings and recommendations, and requested data 
on anti-trafficking efforts. Demonstrating political will to 
combat trafficking, the FIA established bimonthly meetings 
with the Embassy, hired a new staff member, and created a 
time line and plan to address the complexities of Pakistan's 
internal trafficking problems. With a specific focus on 
bonded and forced labor, the resource-strapped agency also 
established bimonthly meetings with local and international 
NGOs to enhance collaboration on anti-trafficking activities, 
and formed three FIA-civil society committees to address 
public awareness, law enforcement training needs, and victim 
protection services. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Pakistani officials provided us new information on 
ongoing anti-trafficking projects, and explained legal gaps 
in Pakistan's bonded labor legislation and the sections of 
the Pakistani Penal Code under which bonded and forced labor 
complaints may be filed.  According to the FIA, the Punjab 
Labour Ministry, the Punjab Child Protection Bureau, the 
Sindh provincial government, and the Employers Federation of 
Pakistan are currently implementing programs that aim to 
eliminate bonded and forced child labor through land 
redistribution efforts, industrial sector reform, and 
education projects.  The FIA also said that while almost no 
cases have been filed under the 1992 Bonded Labor Abolition 
Act (BLLA) as a result of technical flaws in the legislation, 
criminal and civil charges for bonded and forced labor 
violations are, in fact, filed under other sections of the 
penal code. (Note: The International Labor Organization, 
provincial labor ministries, and NGOs are working together on 
a draft BLLA amendment which would fix the BLLA's legal 
defects. End Note.)  While the government was not previously 
able to provide us with statistics on bonded and forced labor 
cases charged under these other sections of the penal code, 
post will work with its government contacts on trying to 
obtain such information for the 2010 TIP Report. 
 
ISLAMABAD 00002941  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
--------------------------------- 
GOP ACTION ON TIP RECOMMENDATIONS 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) The 2009 TIP Report's first recommendation to 
address Pakistani's purported deficiencies combating 
trafficking calls for the government to increase law 
enforcement activity against perpetrators of bonded labor and 
forced child labor. The report noted that Pakistan did not 
provide 2008 data to demonstrate any significant law 
enforcement efforts against labor trafficking.  However, in 
response to the TIP Report, the FIA went to great lengths to 
try to obtain such data for the Embassy, even though this 
data is not readily available to the FIA because it is 
maintained at the provincial and local levels.  Drawing on 
their own personal relationships with local police, FIA 
officials obtained for us 2006-09 statistics of bonded 
laborer releases by police in four districts of Sindh 
province with high bonded labor incidence.  According this 
data, bonded labor releases increased by between 140% and 
200% in the four districts over that four year period. 
District police superintendents attribute these increases to 
greater media and public awareness of labor rights. 
Consulate Lahore managed to obtain Punjab data for 2008 and 
2009 that details case registrations and convictions of 
forced and bonded labor offenses under 12 sections of the 
Pakistani Penal Code. The data, which is incomplete, 
indicates a 10% increase in cases registered for forced or 
bonded labor related offenses in Punjab province from 2008 to 
¶2009. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In response to the second TIP Report recommendation 
for increased law enforcement activity against fraudulent 
labor recruiting, the Pakistani government has made 
significant progress by expanding services overseas in its 
Muscat, Oman FIA office and by closely monitoring recruiters 
through the Bureau of Immigration. In June, FIA officers in 
Muscat rescued two young girls, one 14 years of age, brought 
to Oman by a Karachi-based agent who advertised legitimate 
work, but then attempted to sell them into the sex trade. 
FIA repatriated both girls and initiated a criminal case 
against the trafficker.  FIA is awaiting budgetary approval 
to open additional offices in Turkey and Greece to augment 
efforts against fraudulent recruiting and other forms of 
trafficking.  Additionally, Umer Moriya, Director General of 
the Bureau of Immigration, reported to us in a November 3 
meeting that his offices are charged with close monitoring of 
all formal recruiting for overseas labor and revoke licenses 
when recruiters abuse the process.  The Bureau revoked one 
license to date in 2009.  The Bureau conducts security and 
financial investigations before issuing operating licenses to 
recruiters, and maintains a database of more than 1,300 
recruiters, 150 of whom were licensed in 2009.  It also 
tracks recruitment fees and places special exit stamps in 
passports for Pakistani departing the country for work 
obtained through recruiters, providing a mechanism for 
documenting such Pakistani workers overseas. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The third recommendation calls for more law 
enforcement activity against government complicity in human 
trafficking. FIA confirmed that it continues to punish 
government officials who participate in human trafficking. 
The agency was unable to provide mid-year data, but will 
provide data for the final TIP Report. 
 
¶7. (SBU) The fourth TIP Report recommendation identifies the 
need for expanded forced labor and sex trafficking victim 
protection services.  In direct response to this 
recommendation, FIA initiated a project in October with NGOs 
to develop a national victim protection services database. 
They have thus far identified 276 women's centers, 53 drop-in 
centers and 47 shelters.  Additionally, officials in Sindh 
confirmed to us that the government and NGOs are operating 
several camps for released bonded labors. In both Punjab and 
Sindh, NGOs are also providing shelter, food and vocational 
training to released bonded labors. Lastly, FIA has begun to 
provide medical and psychological services to trafficking 
victims via its Muscat offices and hopes to expand these 
services to offices in Turkey and Greece. 
 
ISLAMABAD 00002941  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment: Pakistani government institutions, 
including the FIA, took the TIP Report and Pakistan's Tier 2 
Watch List ranking very seriously, and are taking steps to 
implement the recommendations, despite the difficulties in 
doing so at a time when Pakistan is experiencing frequent 
terrorist attacks, many aimed at law enforcement, and when 
the country's law enforcement efforts must necessarily be 
focused on the counter-terrorism fight.  The difficulty 
surrounding the collection and sharing of law enforcement 
data in Pakistan, largely a result of a decentralization of 
law enforcement functions and a lack of data management 
technology at local levels, impedes accurate reporting on the 
country's anti-TIP efforts. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Comment Continued:  To better combat bonded and 
forced labor, Pakistan needs more economic development 
programs that target the informal labor sectors in Punjab and 
Sindh and incorporate labor rights and skills- development 
training.  There is also great need for financial assistance 
for organizations that provide legal and welfare assistance 
to victims of labor trafficking.  End Comment. 
PATTERSON