Two girls who suffered ‘sexual abuse’ after being trafficked to UAE by parents repatriated

Emirate police rescued the victims

ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistani teenage girls, who were trafficked by their own parents to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), were brought back to the country on Friday.

17-year-old AR* and 15-year-old ZF* were illegally transported to the Gulf country where they were sexually exploited, sources in the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development said.

After receiving an online complaint, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfikar Bukhari pursued it with authorities concerned in the UAE and tasked the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) for their repatriation.



The Emirates' police rescued the girls and referred them to the Shelter for Victims of Human Trafficking (EWAA) department.

Later, the EWAA contacted the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB), Lahore for their repatriation and rehabilitation.

The victims were received by the OPF and CPWB officials at the Lahore airport, the sources said.

In January, a Pakistani man, who ‘fell in love’ with a 13-year-old girl forced into becoming a sex worker by another Pakistani in Dubai.

The 25-year-old confessed to having sex with the minor several times “with her consent”.

*Names withheld to protect the identity of the victims.