US Ambassador Ryan Crocker had delivered a copy of the State Department's fifth annual Trafficking in Persons report, due to be released later Friday, to Pakistani Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao on Thursday, it said in a statement.

"The report indicates that Pakistan has improved its anti-trafficking performance over the reporting period," the statement said.

Pakistan is regarded as a major hub for human trafficking and was placed on the watch list last year, but President Pervez Musharraf's government has launched a drive to tackle people smugglers.

Crocker commended Pakistan's efforts during his meeting with Sherpao but encouraged continued progress. "We look forward to further cooperation on trafficking-in-persons issues," he was quoted as telling the minister.

Pakistan had increased trafficking-related prosecutions and convictions and strengthened implementation of key 2002 legislation to prevent human smuggling, the US embassy statement said.

It had also established an anti-trafficking unit and co-sponsored several public awareness campaigns, it added.

Pakistani authorities said earlier this year they had arrested two key suspects linked to a human smuggling mafia that has allegedly sent thousands of Pakistanis illegally to Europe in the past eight years.

Intelligence officials also investigated whether the pair had helped wanted Islamic militants to flee the country following a crackdown on extremism by Musharraf.