Sixty-Four Deportees from Libya and Greece Convicted Across Three Punjab Districts in Summary Trials

GUJRAT: A local court convicted a deportee from Gujranwala on Thursday, bringing the total number of deportees from Libya and Greece sentenced over the past two weeks across three districts to 64.

The deportees received average sentences of 10 to 15 days’ imprisonment following summary trials in cases registered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) across its three regional circles. The courts of Special Judges Central (SJCs) in Gujranwala, Gujrat, and Sialkot also imposed fines ranging from Rs25,000 to Rs50,000 after the defendants confessed to illegally crossing international borders.

According to the court rulings, the period of judicial custody served—between 10 and 15 days—was counted toward their sentences, and the convicts were released upon payment of the fines.

On Thursday, a Special Judge Central in Gujranwala convicted a man under Section 17(1) (unlawful emigration) of the Emigration Ordinance 1979. The judge sentenced him to time already served in judicial custody and levied a fine of Rs50,000.

A senior FIA official informed Dawn that at least 200 illegal Pakistani immigrants were apprehended by Libyan authorities while attempting to board boats bound for Italy. After being held for several weeks, the deportees were repatriated to Pakistan on two special flights facilitated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) approximately one month ago.

At least 90 of the 200 deportees originated from the Gujranwala region, where the FIA circles in Gujranwala, Gujrat, and Sialkot had registered cases against them. The deportees were detained by the respective FIA circles, and their cases were forwarded to the relevant courts in these cities.

Official sources indicated that summary trials for the remaining 26 deportees are currently underway in various courts, with verdicts expected within the next few days. Authorities further stated that approximately Rs1.05 million has been collected in fines from the convicted deportees to date.

FIA Gujranwala Zone Director Muhammad Bin Ashraf told Dawn that the agency has placed the names of these deportees on the immigration Passport Control List (PCL), barring them from international travel for at least five years.

He noted that the region has witnessed a record conviction rate in illegal human trafficking and immigration cases over the past six months, with 172 individuals convicted during that period. Between January 1 and July 8, courts handed down sentences of up to 22 years’ imprisonment and imposed fines totalling Rs13.7 million. These measures, he said, are part of the FIA’s broader strategy to dismantle illegal immigration and human trafficking networks in the area.

In separate meetings this week, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi discussed efforts to curb illegal immigration with his Chinese counterpart, Ling Zhifeng, and Sri Lankan Minister of Public Security, Ananda Wijepala.

The Gujranwala, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Wazirabad, Sialkot, and Hafizabad districts of central Punjab are recognized as hubs for illegal human trafficking networks operating globally. The FIA has expanded its operational footprint in these areas over the past year by establishing new circles in Sialkot and a sub-circle in Mandi Bahauddin, as a significant number of victims from recent boat capsizes hailed from this specific region.

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