The Federal Investigation Agency is now holding at least 10 Chinese citizens and their local facilitators on suspicion of human trafficking for bonded labour, sex work, slavery and organ trade. The arrests have been made in Faisalabad and Lahore.
Those familiar with the FIA investigation have said at least 90 Pakistani girls, mostly from income-poor Christian families, have been trafficked to China after being lured into fraudulent marriages. The investigators have learnt that the girls, and in some cases their families, were promised a bright future in marrying well-to-do Chinese men who agreed to bear the entire expense of the marriage.
Four Pakistani brides were also recovered in the raids. The girls told the investigators they had been tested for HIV before their ‘marriage’ and were being taught Chinese language pending preparation of travel papers. Bogus documents including marriage registration certificates and fake Chinese identification papers have been recovered from those arrested. The girls have been handed over to their families. The Pakistanis arrested have been described as a pastor, two match makers, an interpreter and a Chinese language instructor. The Pakistani embassy in Beijing has not been taken on board so far.
At least one newspaper account says a son of a Punjab Police officer is suspected of heading the Pakistani end of the racket.
What we are seeing here is a new phenomenon. After decades of one-child policy and given the parents’ preference for male children, China has a significant demographic deficit of female youth. This means that Chinese brides are not available for a number of eligible grooms. This creates a social gradient that can only be ignored at considerable risk. The same generation in Pakistan, meanwhile, has seen population growth, increasing poverty, unemployment and migration of men of working age. This leaves a large number of women without suitors and no prospect of a marriage. The climate change is exacerbating this situation.
Given the twin pressures and the increasing mobility between Pakistan and China as China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects gather pace, there are bound to be greater social interaction and some inter-marriages. Per se, this is not necessarily something to resent or resist. All the governments need to do is to ensure transparency and protection against fraud and exploitation by criminal elements. Would it be too much to ask for a register to be maintained of Pakistanis settling in China following a marriage or otherwise? Can the embassy and the consulates keep track of such settlers and provide them consular support? No? Will somebody in the government please make a policy statement in this regard?
Or should one wait for a suo motu notice by the Supreme Court of Pakistan? *