Shady business: Police raid two massage parlours in Khadda Market
Arrested male and female workers were granted bail by a magistrate on Friday.
"If a parlour offers male masseurs, it means their services include much more," A worker of a massage parlour.
KARACHI:
The police conducted a raid at two massage parlours in Defence Housing Authority’s Khadda Market on Thursday evening, after receiving information that they were running prostitution dens.
Offering ‘massage services’, the shady parlours - called Organic and Silk - were found running prostitution dens. The police caught the parlour employees red-handed as both the male and female workers of the parlours were busy ‘pleasing’ their clients. “Under the garb of massage and beauty parlours, prostitution was being carried out [in these facilities] so we took them [workers] into custody,” said the SHO of Darakshan police station, Zawar Hussain.
The police arrested eight women and four men from the two parlours on the day but vowed to carry more raids in the future. In all, they located four such parlours that are, in fact, prostitution dens.
Soon after the raid began, news spread to other parlours who pulled down their shutters before the police could reach their facilities. According to SHO Hussain, the police have located the owner of one of the parlours, a man called Jimmy, who was nominated in the FIR as well.
The police denied, however, that there was any political pressure or influence when they were carrying out these raids. It was, in fact, the residents of the commercial area who were perturbed by the situation and had complained to them about shady practices in these massage parlours, he explained. “There are more in other commercial areas of DHA and soon we will carry out action against them.”
Darakshan police have registered a case under section 294 (obscene acts and songs) of the Pakistan Penal Code against the people arrested. On Friday, the arrested workers were presented in the sessions court but were granted bail by a judicial magistrate in district South.
The police clarified that none of the female workers were forced into prostitution. They had all chosen to do it on their own, said Hussain. “They would come in the mornings and leave at night.”
Several such beauty parlours are located in this area and The Express Tribune had located one such facility in Khadda Market, behind the Red Riding Hood bakery, where much more was being offered in the name of massage.
One worker for a 10th Street Salon located in Khadda market said that though she was aware that such places existed, her’s offered no such services. If a parlour offers male masseurs it means their services include much more, she explained. “Most of the parlours offering massage services don’t indulge in dirty businesses,” she clarified. “Those who do are always fearful because they know they can be caught anytime.”
Meanwhile, a worker of a beauty parlour Super Deluxe in the same neighbourhood, admitted that while their parlour offers no such services, their business goes down after such raids. “When news gets out about these raids, people doubt the work we do and then it takes time to build confidence among clients again.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2013.
The police conducted a raid at two massage parlours in Defence Housing Authority’s Khadda Market on Thursday evening, after receiving information that they were running prostitution dens.
Offering ‘massage services’, the shady parlours - called Organic and Silk - were found running prostitution dens. The police caught the parlour employees red-handed as both the male and female workers of the parlours were busy ‘pleasing’ their clients. “Under the garb of massage and beauty parlours, prostitution was being carried out [in these facilities] so we took them [workers] into custody,” said the SHO of Darakshan police station, Zawar Hussain.
The police arrested eight women and four men from the two parlours on the day but vowed to carry more raids in the future. In all, they located four such parlours that are, in fact, prostitution dens.
Soon after the raid began, news spread to other parlours who pulled down their shutters before the police could reach their facilities. According to SHO Hussain, the police have located the owner of one of the parlours, a man called Jimmy, who was nominated in the FIR as well.
The police denied, however, that there was any political pressure or influence when they were carrying out these raids. It was, in fact, the residents of the commercial area who were perturbed by the situation and had complained to them about shady practices in these massage parlours, he explained. “There are more in other commercial areas of DHA and soon we will carry out action against them.”
Darakshan police have registered a case under section 294 (obscene acts and songs) of the Pakistan Penal Code against the people arrested. On Friday, the arrested workers were presented in the sessions court but were granted bail by a judicial magistrate in district South.
The police clarified that none of the female workers were forced into prostitution. They had all chosen to do it on their own, said Hussain. “They would come in the mornings and leave at night.”
Several such beauty parlours are located in this area and The Express Tribune had located one such facility in Khadda Market, behind the Red Riding Hood bakery, where much more was being offered in the name of massage.
One worker for a 10th Street Salon located in Khadda market said that though she was aware that such places existed, her’s offered no such services. If a parlour offers male masseurs it means their services include much more, she explained. “Most of the parlours offering massage services don’t indulge in dirty businesses,” she clarified. “Those who do are always fearful because they know they can be caught anytime.”
Meanwhile, a worker of a beauty parlour Super Deluxe in the same neighbourhood, admitted that while their parlour offers no such services, their business goes down after such raids. “When news gets out about these raids, people doubt the work we do and then it takes time to build confidence among clients again.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2013.