Human trafficking scandal: PPP likely to take action against Population Welfare Minister

The Pakistan People's Party is likely to take action against Federal Minister for Population Welfare Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan over her alleged involvement in cases of human trafficking and misbehaviour with a lady parliamentarian at a TV talk show. Sources in the PPP told Business Recorder that the party leadership was mindful of taking disciplinary action against the minister after internal investigation into the latest scandal regarding her alleged involvement in human trafficking.
The minister had, however, rejected such allegations. The sources added that the party leadership had warned her to mend her ways after use of abusive language against PML-Q MNA Kashmala Tariq at a TV programme. Few weeks back Firdous Ashiq Awan and Kashmala Tariq had a verbal clash at a TV show and the language the PPP Minister used was highly condemned by all and sundry even by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani who assured Kashmala of taking action against the Minister.
The new scandal highlighted by the media against the lady minister regarding human trafficking further added fuel to the fire and her fate was hanging in balance, the party sources added. The sources said the party leadership had planned an internal investigation into the case and action to be taken against her if she was found guilty. Another senior party leader on the condition of anonymity maintained she was not even qualified for the slot of minister as she had been a fierce critic of PPP in the recent past when she used to be a member of the PML-Q.
The protocol, she was enjoying was tantamount to rubbing salt on the wounds of party workers, the party leader said, adding those who were genuine workers and gave sacrifices for the party for years were against the decision of giving her the ministry.
However, when contacted Farhatullah Babar, the spokesman of PPP's Co-chairman, he denied that the party was going to take any action against the minister. Meanwhile, a press release issued by the office of Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan stated that the allegations regarding her involvement in human trafficking were absolutely unfounded and malafide without any substance. Nadra record in respect of the Federal Minister's Form 'B' was tampered in NSRC, Parliament House.
The Federal Minister had lodged a complaint to the Nadra Chairman, requesting him to probe into the matter and bring the culprits to book. The investigation by Nadra Chairman confirmed tampering in the record. Therefore, the Nadra Chairman wrote a letter on 12th March 2009 to the DG FIA for a thorough probe into the matter as requested by the Federal Minister.
An enquiry was conduced by the FIA culminating in the findings that a group of human traffickers in connivance with the Nadra Office managed to tamper the record. On the basis of the enquiry, a case vide FIR No 161/2009 dated 22-6-2009 u/s 420/468/471/159 was registered with the Passport Cell of FIA. The accused in the case were arrested and sent to jail. The case was sub judice.
The allegations against her person as well her alleged involvement attributed to the disclosure by the DG FIA were incorrect. She had no concern or relationship and did not get any money as falsely reported in the press. She was not the beneficiary of any fraud committed by anybody. It was hard fact that she herself was the complainant of the forgery and tampering of the record with Nadra and/or any illegal work committed in Nadra by some miscreants.
The Ministry of Interior had also confirmed by issuing the press release on 1st October that that investigation was initiated on the complaint by the Federal Minister and that speculation in the matter be avoided. The malicious and severe complaint lodged and the conspiracy hatched against the Federal Minister was aimed at deflecting the smooth investigation of the case from the right direction so as to conceal the serious institutional lapses and failures.