Senior Pakistani actress Nadia Jamil has expressed deep concern over the lack of public discussion on child sexual exploitation in the country, despite widespread criticism directed at lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender individuals (LGBTQ). A video of the actress speaking to a group of young girls has gone viral on social media, where she addresses the harsh and often overlooked realities faced by vulnerable children.
Nadia revealed that some time ago, a journalist using a hidden camera uncovered nine child prostitution dens operating in Lahore and other cities, where children as young as seven to 16 years old were being abused. The secret footage, she said, left her shaken and heartbroken. She added that in Pakistan, the sexual exploitation of young boys persists across schools, homes, educational institutions, and various workplaces, yet no one is willing to openly confront the issue. According to Nadia, the problem is especially severe at truck stops, where underage boys are frequently abused but the matter remains largely ignored. She noted that exploitation also continues in coal mines and industrial workplaces, where boys are passed from one person to another without intervention.
The actress became emotional while explaining that many abused children grow up believing such environments are their only future. “When you ask an abused child what he wants to be when he grows up, he often says a truck driver,” she said, explaining that truck drivers typically keep one boy with them, while other workplaces involve multiple abusers. Nadia Jamil criticised society’s tendency to normalize such exploitation, brushing it aside as something that “cannot be changed.” “In that case,” she questioned, “if we cannot stand up against child abuse, why do we take strong positions on other issues?”
Nadia urges authorities to take decisive action child abusing to eradicate this curse from the society.