Children for auction

Two men decide to sell their children because they had not been issued Watan Cards.


Express October 09, 2010

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Flood victims in DG Khan protested outside the commissioner’s office on Friday. Two men also decided to sell their children because they had not been issued Watan Cards.

Village Nuria Koria residents Niaz Hussain and Imtiaz Hussain’s families said that they had exhausted all avenues in search of aid following the floods. “We have been everywhere trying to get Watan Cards,” said Nauria, adding that he had finally decided that the only way to feed himself and his family was if he sold some of his children.

“My wife and I decided to protest outside the commissioner’s office but if that didn’t work we would sell our children to feed ourselves,” he said, adding that a crowd gathered outside the commissioner’s office in the evening and people began to name their prices for some of the children.

Imtiaz Hussain said that the government had not provided them with aid and hadn’t even bothered to put their names on the list for Watan Cards. “The only thing left to do was to lessen the number of mouths left to feed, so I am selling my children,” he said.

The families reached outside the commissioner’s office along with six children and were carrying placards with the names and ages of the children for sale. Commissioner Hasan Iqbal said that the aid could not be distributed in one day and added that the families had not followed the proper procedures to merit aid.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2010.

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