CJ takes notice of women smuggling to Afghanistan

Action taken on The News/Jang report

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Friday took notice of women trafficking in Rawalpindi and Islamabad and sought reports from the twin cities top police bosses within three days.

The notice was taken on a news story published in a section of media under caption “Women trafficking in twin cities goes on unchecked” and a column “Sub Gongay Kun Ho Gay” narrating the story of a 40-year-old woman, a mother of three hailing from Rawalpindi, who was sold to different hands and reached Afghanistan.

The abductors demanded Rs300,000 to return the lady while the police admitted that they couldn’t do anything in this situation. The story further revealed that innumerable women from Pakistan were sold in Afghanistan by an organized gang (more than 150 members) through fake marriage deeds. There were also many cases where women were used for sex slavery.

The News/Jang story divulged that the FIR of 40-year-old woman was registered on January 1, 2017 with the Airport Police Station, Rawalpindi but in vain, as the police were using conventional delaying tactics.

The husband of the abducted woman received a phone call from an agent in Afghanistan who demanded Rs300,000 to release his wife otherwise he would sell her to someone else.  Her husband being a daily wager could not manage such a huge amount to bring his wife back.

The story further revealed that the agent paid Rs50,000 to her husband and she was told that she would be back to Pakistan in 15 days. But when she told this reality to the Afghan handlers that she was married and had kids, the Afghan agent held her as captive and was now demanding Rs300,000 from the Pakistani agents to cover his losses.

The news story further stated that Khanna Pull, Fauji Colony, Chuhur, Koh-e-Noor Mills area in Rawalpindi city are the hubs of this gang.  There are more than 150 members of this gang who apparently work under the guise of matchmakers. They track poor families having grown-up girls, bring some matches and offer them a handsome money.

Once the parents agree, they sell them off either in Afghanistan or to anyone in the country.  Moreover, this gang has sold many Pakistani girls in Afghanistan or Afghan girls in Pakistan to the old villagers through fake Nikkah solemnized by a Nikkah registrar.

The Nikkah registrar is usually the prayer leader of a big mosque in the same vicinity who charges Rs5,000 per Nikkah. An aged Pakistani woman residing in Swabi leads the gang’s activities in Afghanistan. She takes girls with her to Jalalabad and sells them to Afghan agents. The gang keeps on changing their houses to avoid being traced.