Islamabad, April 6 – The recent detention of a former Elite Force officer, believed to be involved in the 2023 Greek boat capsize incident, highlights Pakistan's relaxed approach to human trafficking, according to a report.
"The trafficking of people is a serious problem in Pakistan. While international efforts have been made to combat this, our lawmakers have not been effective. Thousands of Pakistanis are trafficked every year, but the conviction rate remains low. Recently, the FIA arrested seven suspects in cases involving fake visas, visa fraud, and human trafficking in Lahore, Sialkot, Multan, and Bahawalpur," an editorial in Pakistan's leading daily, Dawn, mentioned.
"Furthermore, the agency has apprehended a notorious human trafficker. The fact that he is a former Elite Force officer, believed to be involved in the 2023 Greek boat tragedy, is a damning indictment of the government's approach to crime," it added.
Human traffickers often exploit times of conflict and rising poverty. In 2025, more than 2,700 fatalities were reported worldwide. According to data from the International Organisation for Migration's Missing Migrants Project, at least 2,722 people from the Asia-Pacific region died or disappeared during illegal international migration.
As many as 109 Pakistani nationals were among at least 2,722 people from the Asia-Pacific region who died or disappeared around the world in 2025 while attempting to illegally enter other countries.
"Clearly, there is still much work to be done to protect the rights of victims of human trafficking and smuggling, and to ensure that citizens choose not to leave. Law enforcement has been empowered by many laws. However, social problems thrive in the face of legal ambiguities, powerful patronage, corruption, and a culture of impunity," an editorial in Dawn mentioned.
The 2018 Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, despite amendments, imposes fines instead of mandatory imprisonment, and the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act has remained ineffective due to poor implementation.
Last week, Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) confirmed the arrest of a most wanted human trafficker on an FIA red book, who was involved in the June 2023 Greek boat capsize. The accused was previously serving in Pakistan's Elite Force.
In January, the arrested trafficker had resisted and attacked a FIA team during a raid conducted in Majra Shumali village of Pakistan's Gujrat district. Police had booked him for attempted murder and other charges, Dawn reported.
According to a senior FIA official, the most-wanted human trafficker, Waqas Ali, alias Waqas Butt, was arrested by the FIA Composite Circle, Gujrat. The accused is listed in the 2025 red book and is a proclaimed offender involved in several FIA cases.
The accused was directly involved in the 2023 Libyan shipwreck, according to the official. He extorted around Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 3 million from each of the affected families by promising to send them to Greece through illegal sea routes from Libya. The accused is a former Elite Force constable who was dismissed from the service in 2023 from the Gujrat police.