FIA probes Sarim Burney case amid US mission alert

ISLAMABAD: Startling revelations have emerged in the Sarim Burney human trafficking case, as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) revealed that the United States (US) Mission alerted its immigration wing to suspected child trafficking activities, Hum Investigation Team (HIT) has learnt.

Read more: Sarim Burney booked for trafficking new born babies to US

Against the backdrop of increasing human trafficking incidents in Pakistan, the FIA launched an investigation that recently led to the arrest of Sarim Burney in Karachi. Prompted by a complaint from the US Consulate General in Karachi, the FIA is currently probing the Sarim Burney Welfare Trust International.

An immigration team from the US embassy in Islamabad examined the trust’s operations during visits in July and November 2023. Despite vehement denials from the non-profit, investigations uncovered alleged falsification of guardianship documents for two children, identified as Zehra and Sarah.

The documents, allegedly fraudulent, indicated that people were trading the children for sums ranging from Rs0.5 million to Rs10 million, implicating several people.

The revelations come amid a rise in human trafficking cases in Pakistan, highlighted in the FIA’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report to the Department of State.

According to the report, the government referred 22,597 trafficking victims—comprising 19,143 sex trafficking victims, 1,222 forced labour victims, and 2,229 victims of unspecified forms of trafficking—to government or non-governmental organisation (NGO) services.

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The figures mark an increase from the previous reporting period, shedding light on the ongoing challenges faced by the government in combating trafficking.

The report also confirms that foreign victims are entitled to the same legal protections and benefits as Pakistani citizens.