A Crisis of Enforcement: Corruption, Weak Institutions and the Invisibility of Human Trafficking Victims and Pakistan
Keywords:
Human Rights, ILO, CRC, South Asia, Pakistan, Palermo ProtocolAbstract
Human trafficking represents one of the gravest human rights crises of the 21st century, with an estimated 50 million individuals affected globally, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). Despite the proliferation of international legal frameworks such as the Palermo Protocol, ICCPR, UDHR, CRC, CEDAW and ILO Conventions trafficking remains entrenched due to a persistent crisis of enforcement, particularly in regions like South Asia. In Pakistan, weak institutional capacity, widespread corruption and fragile rule of law have contributed to the near-invisibility of victims and the impunity enjoyed by trafficking networks. This study critically examines the structural and systemic failures that enable human trafficking in Pakistan, situating the phenomenon within broader patterns of state neglect, economic inequality, gender-based violence and institutional decay. It underscores how trafficking for forced labor, sexual exploitation, organ removal and child exploitation is perpetuated by corrupt enforcement agencies, lack of victim-centered legal protections and the failure to operationalize existing human rights norms. Through comparative case studies from Pakistan and neighboring India, the paper highlights the operational dynamics of trafficking networks and the socio-political conditions that shield them. It advocates for a rights-based, gender-sensitive and victim-centered response that prioritize survivor rehabilitation, legal aid, community empowerment and institutional accountability. Ultimately, the analysis reveals that without comprehensive legal reform, anti-corruption measures and robust survivor support systems, efforts to combat human trafficking in Pakistan will remain ineffective. The crisis is not merely one of crime but of governance -- a failure to uphold the rights and dignity of the most vulnerable.
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