Treating children as commodities is not a new phenomenon. History indicates that the buying and selling of vulnerable children has been a rather common practice — from as early as the 16th century during the transatlantic slave trade era all the way to the 21st century, when the infamous Jeffery Epstein was convicted of the sex trafficking of minors.
In an age where human rights are constantly being violated, the issue of human trafficking has taken precedence globally as well as domestically. According to recent reports, an estimated 1.2 million children around the world are affected by trafficking. Within Pakistan, the police reported identifying 19,954 trafficking victims in 2019, out of which 15,802 were female victims and 760 bonded labour victims. While girls are trafficked for forced marriage and sexual exploitation, boys may be trafficked for forced labour or recruitment into armed groups.
It is an open secret that girls are being bought and sold “like cattle” out of Chitral — mainly for the purpose of underage marriage — without garnering much attention. According to officials, wealthy people oftentimes visit the region looking for young girls as second wives and pay a small sum of money to the family in return. Unfortunately, children are being illegally shipped out of the country as well. While the authorities have turned a blind eye to the situation, the civil society too seems to be bereft of their moral compass. The Government of Pakistan does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, which they claim is because of the lack of legal, financial and social assistance.
Regrettably, these remain as mere excuses since a lot can be done to at least build a foundation in curbing the issue. Apart from creating awareness at the community level, the government needs to improve law enforcement and instigate legal reform to prevent trafficking and protect survivors. Supporting children who have been trafficked, helping them return home, and reintegrating them into their communities is equally an essential.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2021.
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