ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Wednesday approved the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Bill 2018 in complete agreement with the purpose to provide concrete plans to tackle human trafficking of women and children. State Minister Maritime Affairs Jaffar Iqbal administered the bill in the NA on behalf of the Interior Minister. The bill specially focused on taking effectual steps to prevent trafficking of women and children specially, along with the aim to protect trafficking victims by providing them additional help. The aim of this act is to target criminals exploiting the underprivileged, who endure unwanted hardships in the pursuit of a better life, and also to provide further assistance to trafficking victims. Trafficking does not specify the gender and age limit but it specially refer that ‘women and children’ are vulnerable to it. The bill seeks to achieve the aforesaid objective. Furthermore, the trafficking bill executes tough imprisonment sentences to criminals involved in human trafficking, while it also provides tougher punishments if the victims are women and children. “Any person who commits an offence of trafficking in person shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to seven years with fine which may extend to one million rupees or with both,” the bill said. The bill further reads, “If the offence of trafficking is committed against a child or a woman, the person who commits the offence shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to 10 years and which shall not be less than two years or with fine which may extend to one million rupees or with both.”