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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 000309 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ELAB KTIP PK
SUBJECT: INTER-AGENCY HUMAN TRAFFICKING - BONDED LABOR 
CONFERENCE BRINGS TOGETHER GOVERNMENT STAKEHOLDERS 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The Ministry of Interior hosted an 
inter-agency conference on human trafficking and bonded labor 
on February 3.  Officials from all four provinces attended. 
Participants included the provincial Inspector Generals of 
Police, the Ministry of Labor, provincial Departments of 
Labour, the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Ministry of 
Interior, the Federal Investigation Agency, as well as child 
protection and immigration bureaus. The focus of the 
conference was to discuss the problems of transnational human 
trafficking, bonded labor, and child labor, and to address 
difficulties in data collection and reporting to meet the 
requirements of the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. 
PolOff was invited to attend and take questions. Authorities 
voiced their concerns about Pakistan's trafficking problems 
and the root issues of illiteracy, poverty and social 
disempowerment. In addition to discussing ongoing efforts, 
they also highlighted the needs and challenges that prevent 
them from moving forward to ef 
fectively tackle these issues. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Nearly 35 government officials from around the 
country convened to discuss transnational human trafficking 
bonded labor and child labor problems at a conference in 
Islamabad on February 3 that was organized  by the Ministry 
of Interior.  Participants came from as far away as Quetta 
and Karachi. In attendance were officials for all four 
provincial Inspector Generals of Police, the Ministry of 
Labor, provincial Departments of Labour, the Ministry of Law 
and Justice, the Ministry of Interior, the Federal 
Investigation Agency, and child protection and immigration 
bureaus. Officials shared data for the upcoming TIP Report, 
and PolOff took questions on the history and purpose of the 
TIP Report and also explained the criteria used in assigning 
tier rankings. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Participants discussed for more than two hours 
efforts to tackle labor rights issues, including debt labor 
practices and child labor. They spoke about the different 
facets of bonded labor in Pakistan. They noted the history 
behind the money lending system (referred to as "peshgi") 
that is prevalent in agriculture and brick making, as well as 
the resistance from both employers and workers to eliminate 
peshgis. Officials from the Departments of Labour from Punjab 
and Sindh (where bonded labor is most often found) commented 
that many bonded laborer problems did not require police 
intervention. For example, the majority of brick kiln 
workers' complaints that lawyers for the Bonded Labor Legal 
Aid Service Units in Punjab helped to resolve in 2009 
pertained to payment of minimum wages and contractual 
disagreements that fall under the Factories Act. The Legal 
Aid Service Units resolved most of these disputes with 
employer-employee mediation or, when that failed, in the 
courts. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Police from Punjab and Sindh demonstrated empathy 
and a desire to assist poor "haris" (peasants - a 
non-derogatory word used for laborers), but they also 
stressed that the U.S. needs to understand the factors that 
disempower the poor: namely illiteracy and a lack of economic 
alternatives. Police also spoke candidly about resource 
constraints and the difficulties in resolving labor disputes 
at the same time they are responding to murders, terrorist 
attacks, militant-recruiting, rapes, honor crimes and 
kidnappings. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The conference ended with a proposal to meet again 
and to establish more mechanisms for interagency dialogue and 
cooperation.  In a February 4 follow up meeting, the Deputy 
Secretary of FIA, Aslam Khundi, discussed with PolOff the 
agency's challenges and needs relating to the identification 
and protection of sex trafficking victims. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comment: Pakistan's commitment to addressing human 
trafficking was evidenced by the distance officials traveled 
to discuss these issues at the conference, and the dedication 
and motivation they demonstrated despite resource constraints 
and the fact that they come from agencies with distinct 
mandates and scopes of power.  Several participants noted 
that this was the first-time in their recollection that 
officials from these different agencies had come together to 
 
ISLAMABAD 00000309  002 OF 002 
 
 
solely discuss trafficking and bonded labor. Participants had 
a very open dialogue with Embassy PolOff and requested the 
U.S. government provide assistance to build their capacity, 
support ongoing initiatives, and to teach and equip them to 
implement best practices.  End Comment. 
PATTERSON