Selling newborns

Human life should never be a commodity. Yet across the country, networks exist that buy and sell newborn babies, exploiting women driven into secrecy and desperation. A recent raid in Sheikham near Sarai Mughal, located in Kasur district of Punjab, uncovered a clinic that allegedly handled deliveries of vulnerable women and sold babies for profit. Arrests have been made and the clinic sealed, but this is, understandably, only a small part of a vast network, which thrives because gaps in oversight and social stigma leave women unprotected.

There are three critical vulnerabilities that are often targeted. First, women who face social stigma, particularly unmarried mothers, are driven into secrecy, reducing oversight and increasing risk of exploitation. Second, regulatory frameworks for health facilities are insufficiently enforced, allowing unlicensed clinics to operate undetected for extended periods. Third, organised intermediaries profit from these conditions, ensuring that supply and demand continue without disruption. Effective intervention to mitigate this requires a coordinated approach. Law enforcement agencies must treat cases of infant trafficking as organised criminal activity. Clinic and cases must be examined not only for licensing and credentials but also for patterns of suspicious deliveries and connections to broader networks. Investigations should identify all participants, including buyers and facilitators, and financial and logistical links must be traced.

Women at risk require confidential support systems and access to regulated adoption frameworks. Public awareness initiatives should reduce stigma and encourage early reporting of exploitation. A dedicated law enforcement taskforce is also essential, with the sole purpose of dismantling such networks by mapping their operations to identify all actors and connections. This must be followed by coordinated interventions and arrests, and harsh punishments meted out to all those involved. The state must treat this as a priority or risk normalising a crime against the very youngest members of society.