Ansar Burney is an internationally recognised campaigner against human trafficking and slavery, and has been working against such practices in Pakistan, the Middle East, and Africa for decades. During that time, with assistance from various governments and authorities, his Trust has secured the release of thousands of people from
false imprisonment and slavery across the world, including young girls sold in the sex trade and young children used for slavery. In 2005, the Trust was involved in the release and repatriation of 13,967 victims from the Middle East alone. The Government of the United States Department of State declared Burney as International Anti Human Trafficking HERO in 2005.
Prominent cases Child camel jockeys Burney is particularly credited as the man whose efforts led to the end of
child slavery in the form of
child camel jockeys in the Middle East, resulting in thousands of children being freed and returned to their homes in South Asia and Africa. Beginning his campaign against child trafficking two decades earlier, Burney had been involved in raising awareness of the issue of child camel jockeys for many years and had been involved in the rescue and repatriation of many children from the Gulf region. During 2003–04 in the UAE alone, as per reports by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor at the US State Department, Burney had managed to rescue and repatriate over 400 children. By 2005, the use of child camel jockeys was banned in the UAE, and in other neighbouring Gulf nations the year after, and in recognition the Ansar Burney Trust was declared an international best practice by the US State Department in its 2005 Trafficking in Persons Report. The report stated: A noted Pakistani human rights activist, Ansar Burney has worked relentlessly to bring to light the plight of thousands of South Asian and African children trafficked to Arab countries in the
Persian Gulf for exploitation as camel jockeys. These abused children, some as young as two years of age, are purposely malnourished (to keep them lightweight) and denied education. As a result of Mr. Burney's efforts, the Government of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) established its first-ever shelter for rescued child camel jockeys, and rescued 68 such children and repatriated 43 through the shelter. Mr. Burney oversees this shelter. He is quick to point out, however, that much more needs to be done to rescue, rehabilitate, and repatriate thousands of trafficked children throughout the Gulf region. Burney continues on his mission to end any such existing practices across the Middle East. A documentary on his work rescuing child camel jockeys that aired on the American TV channel
HBO won both an
Emmy Award and an
Alfred DuPont Award.
Killings of 7 immigrants in Macedonia Six Pakistani immigrants and an Indian immigrant attempting to cross illegally into Europe were arrested by Macedonian authorities in March 2002. According to Macedonian police, a plan was hatched and the men were taken to a remote spot in Macedonia where they were murdered and framed as terrorists in an attempt to prove Macedonia's credentials as a frontline US ally in the war on terror. At the time, it was stated by the Macedonian authorities that the men had travelled from Pakistan in an attempt to attack the embassy and the plan had been foiled by the actions of the Macedonian police. Macedonian police accused then Interior Minister
Ljube Boškoski of ordering the killings. Burney campaigned on behalf of the victims' families, raising money for the families, and calling for repatriation of the victims' bodies.
Pakistani Taekwondo players falsely accused of terrorism Ten Pakistani taekwondo players, who were representing their country in games being held in Latvia, were arrested in 2003 on terrorism charges. The players' families contacted Burney who in turn contacted the Latvian authorities to seek the men's release. After an investigation, it was revealed that the players' only crime was that they had booked a connecting flight to Pakistan via Russia – a flight on which an Israeli basketball team was also travelling. The men were arrested without any evidence, purely due to the fact that they were Pakistani and Muslim. Burney ensured the players' release and repatriation to Pakistan.
Pakistanis sold into slavery in Sudan In March 2005, 60 Pakistanis arrived legally in Khartoum, Sudan in search of a better future and to work a job they were promised by an agency at an oil company. However they found themselves to have been sold into slavery at a labour camp in Bageer (near Khartoum). Surrounded by armed guards and with no escape, the men spent five months in the private prison, working as slave labourers and fed mostly boiled rice and dirty water. When they finally managed to contact the Pakistani Embassy in Sudan they were given full support – until it was revealed that the company that arranged their travel and sold them into slavery was actually owned by a senior minister in Pakistan. The men were abandoned and left to suffer even longer. The Ansar Burney Trust was informed through volunteers and launched a campaign for the return of the men, who were finally returned a few months later.
Release of hostages from Somali pirates MV Suez, a Panamanian flag cargo vessel with 22 crew members was hijacked by Somali pirates on 4 August 2010. The crew consisted of eleven Egyptians, six Indians, four Pakistanis and a Sri Lankan. The pirates demanded a ransom of $20 million from the ship's owner; however, they could only manage $1 million. In desperation, the pirates allowed the crew members to contact their homes. Unable to raise the large sum of money to pay the ransom, the families contacted Burney who, along with Governor of Sindh Dr. Israt Ibab, launched a national campaign to raise the funds. Burney travelled to the UAE, Egypt, Somalia, and India in a bid to secure the release of the crew members. He finally succeeded and the vessel was released on 13 June 2011. An operation was then launched by the
Pakistan Navy entitled
Operation Umeed-e-Nuh to escort the ship and its sailors to Karachi, Pakistan.
Offer to bring back the body of Ajmal Kasab In November 2012, after the
Government of India stated that Pakistan had refused to claim the body of slain alleged
Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Ajmal Kasab, Burney offered to bring back the body to Pakistan citing humanitarian reasons. ==Anti-corruption movement==