ISLAMABAD – Pakistan categorically rejects the unsubstantiated and baselessinclusion in the ‘Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CSPA) List’ published inthe US State Department’s Annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report 2021.
A statement issued by Foreign Office on Friday cited ‘Pakistan has rejectedthe unsubstantiated and baseless inclusion of the country in the ChildSoldiers Prevention Act (CSPA) list as it does not support any non-statearmed group, nor any entity recruiting or using child soldiers.’
‘Pakistan’s efforts in fighting non-state armed groups, including terroristentities, were well recognized’, it further added that ‘The inclusion ofPakistan in the CSPA List depicts a factual error and lack ofunderstanding. No state institution was consulted by the US prior to thepublication of the report. Nor were any details provided of the basis onwhich the conclusion was reached.’
The Foreign Office restated that the South Asian country was ‘committed tofighting this scourge both at the national and international levels,reaffirming that Pakistan had taken a range of legislative andadministrative actions in that regard during the last one year, includingthe approval of rules under the domestic Trafficking in Persons andSmuggling of Migrants Acts; National Action Plan 2021-25 prepared jointlyby the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the UN Office on Drugs andCrime (UNODC); and enhancement of capacity building and inter-agencycooperation of law enforcement agencies involved in anti-human smuggling.’
FO further added that Pakistan had been voluntarily submitting informationfor the TIP Report to successive US governments since 2007 and had activelyworked on implementing the practicable recommendations of these reports.’
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It further calls upon the concerned authorities in the US to review thebaseless assertions made in the TIP Report, especially with regard to theunwarranted inclusion of Pakistan in the list.’
We also expect the sharing of credible information on cases involvingtrafficking as well as on allegations pertaining to support to armed groupsusing child soldiers. Pakistan would continue to remain engaged with the USthrough bilateral channels for constructive dialogue on all issues ofmutual interest, it added.
This is the first time the South Asian country has been put on the CSPAlist. Other countries on this year’s list include Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq,Libya, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen.
