Human trafficking: Young bride rescued from vice den

The girl's husband, whom she had eloped with, was allegedly selling her into flesh trade.

SUKKUR: A girl, who had eloped with a boy from Lahore, was saved by the Sukkur police on Saturday evening from falling into prostitution. She was recovered from the Rohri railway station.

After receiving information about a girl being sold at the alleged prostitution den run by Parveen aka Choti, ASP Amjad Hayat Awan's team raided the house. However, they could not find anything illegal.  When Ghazala was brought by her husband to work at the den, Parveen, the incharge of the alleged den, informed her family after listening to the girl's ordeal. Her parents contacted the police for the recovery of their daughter. Parveen told the police that a boy had brought a girl for sale two days ago, but now they had left to take a train to the Punjab at the Rohri railway station.

After failing to find Ghazala or anything illegal at Parveen's house, the police took to the Rohri railway station. They were able to recover Ghazala while her husband managed to flee.

Hayat has confirmed the recovery of the girl. He added that when the police raided Parveen's house, she told the police that the couple has left for the Rohri railway station. Ghazala's father has reached Sukkur and she will be produced in the court on Monday, he said. Sukkur SSP Tanveer Hussain Tunio said that an FIR will be registered after the girl's statement is heard in the court.

The elopement

Ghazala, daughter of Allah Ditta and a resident of Gujranwala, had eloped with a boy, Sunny, according to her statement to the police. She said that she had fallen in love with Sunny and had decided to marry him.

According to the statement, she had gone to the Data Darbar with her mother four months ago. She had informed Sunny of their visit and he was waiting outside the shrine.

Ghazala had said to her mother that she was going out to buy flowers and it was then that she fled with the boy. They tied the knot in Faisalabad.

Around three days ago, Sunny brought Ghazala to the alleged brothel of Parveen, she said in the statement. However, when she did not like the place, Parveen went on to inform the girl's parents of her ordeal who then contacted the police.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2014.