By Dr Jahanzeb EffendiPublished: July 29, 2013
The police turn their backs towards these activities. Either they are ignorant enough not to recognize the prostitution ring, or they are party to this business. PHOTO: AFP
It is said that prostitution is the oldest profession. Whileprostitution is itself a problem, ignorance of such taboos is a bigger problem.
Since a few years, Khayaban-e-Shujaat in DHA, Phase 5, Karachi has gained a notorious reputation of being the hub of prostitution. The section of the Khayaban specific to this booming business extends between A-street and Khayaban-e-Tanzeem. Another operating area is at the intersection for the main Zamzama Boulevard.
The female sex workers, their pimps, a multitude of auto rickshaws and an ever increasing clientele are a daily affair on this road. From dawn to dusk, the business is in full swing. The clients are mostly domestic help, chauffeurs, cooks, guards, gardeners and especially relatives of VVIP security personnel who visit Karachi from rural areas. Most of them are employed by the residents of DHA.
Vehicles can often be seen parked in deserted nooks and corners along roads going to and fro from this area, serving as a quick replacement for room and bed. In this regard, many complaints have been made to authorities while some objections have been received by security guards or owners of the property where such activities are carried out. Unoccupied bungalows in the street also provide shelter for these activities.
The police turn their backs towards these shenanigans, either because they are ignorant enough not to recognise the prostitution ring, or they are party to this business. My guess is the latter. In any case, they are a waste of resources, as they have failed to respond to the complaints registered by residents. This is also true for the DHA vigilance team, who clear out areas only for these spots to be re-occupied by female sexual workers once the patrolling vehicles move on.
Attempts to curb this thronging business have failed miserably..
While prostitution is common in many commercial areas of DHA, this is a unique ‘open air’ market, where customers can window-shop, stop, stare and haggle over rates before riding on with their escorts.
From a healthcare perspective, there is under-reporting of sexually transmitted diseases in Pakistani female sexual workers, because the topic in itself is a no-go area.
However, according to a study done in 2009, titled ‘Care seeking for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) symptoms in Pakistan’, over half of the female sexual workers, male sexual workers, transsexuals, intravenous drug abusers and truck drivers who had experienced symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases received treatment for their symptoms. The study also states that approximately one third of them did not report their symptoms to a healthcare unit. Most care is received from private clinics rather than public ones. Genital-related symptoms were the most commonly reported.
Female sexual workers could be the source of STIs like syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (HSV-2) and Hemophilus Ducreyi. A local study ‘Sexually Transmitted Infections in Pakistan‘ at an STI clinic in Faisalabad concluded the highest number of cases reporting treatment for Syphilis.
Also transmitted sexually are diseases like Hepatitis B and HIV; unprotected sexual intercourse leads to the spread of these diseases.
As mentioned earlier, prostitution is the oldest profession; no matter how hard we try to curb it, it will pop up someway or the other. Thus, ideally speaking, female sexual workers should be offered health checkups, HIV testing and serology and regularly encouraged to undergo pap smears for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV Serotypes 16 & 18), related to cervical cancer.
Moreover, awareness campaigns for female sexual workers on transmission of STIs should be carried out by organisations. Provisions of condoms and other contraceptive methods should be discussed with them so that they protect themselves as well as their partners.
The health department’s intervention is required to register female sexual workers who are HIV positive and offer them treatment through proper channels. The residents of DHA should also play a part by keeping a check on the activity of their domestic help and chauffeurs, who may be carrying STIs, at risk of infecting their spouses once they visit their hometowns. Also, food handlers, baby sitters and maids should be given adequate information on hygiene and the risks of STIs.
Although prostitution has its accompanying stigma, if it is ignored further it can have devastating consequences on our health and social well-being.
http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/18295/dha-the-hub-of-open-air-prostitution-in-karachi/
Lahore Police: the new pimp in town?
Two young women and one middle aged woman are standing on the curb near a private petrol pump just before Hussain Chowk in Gulberg around 10pm. One Jehangir Ahmed* stopped his motorcycle in front of them and begins bargaining. A rate is agreed and one young woman seats herself on the motorcycle. About 500 metres later on Mahmood Kasuri Road, two policemen of the Muhafiz Squad wave Ahmed to stop. A few minutes later Ahmed hands them some notes, the girl gets off and he drives off.
“I was trying to obtain the services of a prostitute. The negotiation went well and we agreed a rate of Rs 2,000 for an hour, but the police stopped me only a few metres later and she told them she was a prostitute,” Ahmad told Pakistan Today. “I paid Rs 4,000 to be let go. The police and the prostitute appeared to be in cahoots.”
Gulberg SHO Sheikh Aamir admitted that a number of transgenders and prostitutes offer their services on the roadside in the wee hours of the night. Asked how many cases they had registered, Aamir said they had registered only two cases in the last two months against transgenders in the last two months. He said the low number of cases was because most of the girls and men manage to flee when the police come near.
Pimping – the practice of making available prostitutes – was long considered a task for pimps, with police considered the guardian, waiting in the wings to make the arrest for any shady activity seen forthwith. The tables have now turned. The practice of pimping now has state protection.
The practice of roadside pimping has reached its peak in heat-struck Lahore as prostitutes – both women and transgendered – now man set locations around the city with police complicity.
Women and transgenders can be seen standing after 10pm every night on MM Alam Road, National Park near Kalma Underpass, Campus Road in Faisal Town, Main Boulevard in Iqbal Town, near Liberty Chowk, Canal Road near Thokar Niaz Baig, near Ze Grill in Johar Town and other main areas in the city.
Samia, a transgender who stands at a curb, told Pakistan Today that they offer services to those who cannot afford women. “When we have to stand on any location in Lahore, we tell the police in advance and make an arrangement. They take a cut of our earnings, but it allows us to make a living,” she said.
Arooj, who has been offering services as a prostitute for 15 years, said she has to work with police complicity as she has now aged. “When the high and mighty individuals who seek our services are caught by police, they pay any amount to save their respect,” she told Pakistan Today. “The police give us half the cut and let us continue our work,” she said.
She said that the entire business had now moved to Defence, Johar Town, Iqbal Town, Sabzazar, Model Town and other posh localities. She said the roadside business was one of their main ways of earning. “If we do not take police support, then how will we make a living,” she said.
A police official speaking on anonymity said that hundreds of such locations existed in the city in which police and prostitutes are in cahoots. He said police make an arrangement to share half the cut on every customer, or sometimes they agree that they will catch the first three clients and then let the prostitutes keep the rest.
When Pakistan Today asked DHA Police Station SHO Mian Qadeer Ahmed about the situation in his area, Ahmed said such activities were rarely witnessed in Defence. He said they had registered two cases against transgenders for posing as beggars. No cases however were registered against any prostitutes or men seeking their services.
The IG police’s spokesperson said while it was true that some police officials take money to let prostitutes and their clients go, they would take action if anyone gives them any specific complaint. He said that the Punjab Police now had educated officials who were doing their duty with sincerity.
- See more at: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/201...ce-the-new-pimp-in-town/#sthash.56IgLjyn.dpuf
300 brothels operating in Islamabad
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - Islamabad—Prostitution is on the rise in Federal Capital as around 300 new brothels have been opened , in addition to illegal pubs. According to sources, these brothels are operating in sector G-10, G-11, Shahzad town, Burma town, Alipur, Ghauri town, Pakistan town, adjoining locality of Khanna bridge, Shakaryal and Pak PWD colony, especially in the jurisdiction of 3 police stations. According to sources, the police station that covers areas also including Ghauri town has made a strategy to eliminate all the brothels operating in the area without the distinction of old and new ones.
Police has also begun action against the old prostitution-houses in Shahzad town, leaving aside the newly established brothels, and has received appreciation from the high-ups. It is expected that minor action against the old houses of prostitution will continue in the coming days.
The local police is aware of the practice of prostitution going on in residential flats and bungalows in sector G-11, and a particular place is also told to have a group of 50 prostitutes. It is a favorite location of certain influential officials, sources said.— Online
http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=159743
What drives prostitution
ISLAMABAD: Poverty is the major reason people get into prostitution, said Aleem Baig, President of Gender Reproductive Health Forum. A survey conducted by the organisation in 2002 revealed that there were around 20,000 sex workers active in Islamabad, with private businesses operating in almost every sector of the city.
“A few months ago, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani promised that sex workers will be given jobs and a monthly stipend of Rs2500, but that has not happened to date,” said Baig.
Advisor to Prime Minister on Women Development, Yasmeen Rehman, said that being an Islamic state, the government wanted to abolish prostitution from the country, however, “Nothing can be done unless they [sex workers] approach the government and demand their rights collectively”.
The 28-year-old dancer and sex worker Shehla told the Express Tribune that all she wanted to do was to quit and lead a normal life, but could not afford to. “My past is my curse; I have no way out,” she said as she wiped a tear from her cheek.
“The issue of sex workers in Pakistan is a taboo and has never been discussed openly,” said Executive Director for Women’s Organization for Rights and Development Aqsa Khan.
“Since Pakistan’s inception, no NGO or government organization has worked for the rights and rehabilitation of sex workers; they are only taken into consideration when talking about HIV/AIDS,” she accused.
Khan said Islamabad sees its fair share of prostitution but most of it is carried out in secret. She added that although the trend of “red-light sex workers” was decreasing, the sex business had found a new ally for itself in the internet.
Shehla, originally from Bhawalpur, came to Islamabad after her marriage. But happy her marriage was not, as she was forced to live alongside a man who cheated on her and abused her. When the police raided their house and found drugs that her husband used to peddle on streets, she was taken into custody alongside him. She was convicted and sent to prison.
It was her sister, Noor, who contacted her after her sentence and took her to a house. It was here that Shehla was introduced to prostitution for the first time. “What else could I have done? My family left me, my husband cheated on me, I had no place to go and no money,” she said in her defence.
Noor, her sister, has a story of her own to tell. Narrating her ordeal, Noor said she came to Islamabad to earn an “honest living”.
Discouraged by the lack of jobs, one of her friends introduced her to a female sex worker known as “Aunty”, who hired her as a dancer.
While performing in a dance club, a nephew of a well-known politician fell in love with her and the two got married. “After my marriage I left dancing, but his family did not accept me. Soon afterwards my husband left me, leaving me with no other option but to resort to prostitution,” said Noor.
Another sex worker, Jiya, wanted to be a model but ended up becoming a club dancer.
She was originally from Multan and came to Islamabad to get married. Her husband, who used to arrange her dance shows, later forced her into prostitution to boost the ‘family income’.
“When I got pregnant, my husband insisted I get an abortion, which I refused,” said Jiya. Her husband abandoned her when she was unable to dance in her pregnant state.
After her son’s birth, her financial conditions forced her to resume prostitution, which has taken its toll on her mental health, as she suffers from deep bouts of depression. “All I wanted was a decent life and a small family,” she sobbed as she recalled the circumstances that forced her into prostitution.
Naina, a graduate, was forced into prostitution after her husband died, leaving her to provide for their four children and her frail father-and-law.
“I wanted to get a job. I tried my luck everywhere,” she said. But her deteriorating financial conditions got the better of her. “My children and father-in-law do not know that I work as a sex worker. I told them I work at a parlour,” Naina told The Express Tribune. Names of the sex workers have been changed to protect their identity
Published in The Express Tribune, September 14[SUP]th[/SUP], 2010.
The police turn their backs towards these activities. Either they are ignorant enough not to recognize the prostitution ring, or they are party to this business. PHOTO: AFP
It is said that prostitution is the oldest profession. Whileprostitution is itself a problem, ignorance of such taboos is a bigger problem.
Since a few years, Khayaban-e-Shujaat in DHA, Phase 5, Karachi has gained a notorious reputation of being the hub of prostitution. The section of the Khayaban specific to this booming business extends between A-street and Khayaban-e-Tanzeem. Another operating area is at the intersection for the main Zamzama Boulevard.
The female sex workers, their pimps, a multitude of auto rickshaws and an ever increasing clientele are a daily affair on this road. From dawn to dusk, the business is in full swing. The clients are mostly domestic help, chauffeurs, cooks, guards, gardeners and especially relatives of VVIP security personnel who visit Karachi from rural areas. Most of them are employed by the residents of DHA.
Vehicles can often be seen parked in deserted nooks and corners along roads going to and fro from this area, serving as a quick replacement for room and bed. In this regard, many complaints have been made to authorities while some objections have been received by security guards or owners of the property where such activities are carried out. Unoccupied bungalows in the street also provide shelter for these activities.
The police turn their backs towards these shenanigans, either because they are ignorant enough not to recognise the prostitution ring, or they are party to this business. My guess is the latter. In any case, they are a waste of resources, as they have failed to respond to the complaints registered by residents. This is also true for the DHA vigilance team, who clear out areas only for these spots to be re-occupied by female sexual workers once the patrolling vehicles move on.
Attempts to curb this thronging business have failed miserably..
While prostitution is common in many commercial areas of DHA, this is a unique ‘open air’ market, where customers can window-shop, stop, stare and haggle over rates before riding on with their escorts.
From a healthcare perspective, there is under-reporting of sexually transmitted diseases in Pakistani female sexual workers, because the topic in itself is a no-go area.
However, according to a study done in 2009, titled ‘Care seeking for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) symptoms in Pakistan’, over half of the female sexual workers, male sexual workers, transsexuals, intravenous drug abusers and truck drivers who had experienced symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases received treatment for their symptoms. The study also states that approximately one third of them did not report their symptoms to a healthcare unit. Most care is received from private clinics rather than public ones. Genital-related symptoms were the most commonly reported.
Female sexual workers could be the source of STIs like syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (HSV-2) and Hemophilus Ducreyi. A local study ‘Sexually Transmitted Infections in Pakistan‘ at an STI clinic in Faisalabad concluded the highest number of cases reporting treatment for Syphilis.
Also transmitted sexually are diseases like Hepatitis B and HIV; unprotected sexual intercourse leads to the spread of these diseases.
As mentioned earlier, prostitution is the oldest profession; no matter how hard we try to curb it, it will pop up someway or the other. Thus, ideally speaking, female sexual workers should be offered health checkups, HIV testing and serology and regularly encouraged to undergo pap smears for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV Serotypes 16 & 18), related to cervical cancer.
Moreover, awareness campaigns for female sexual workers on transmission of STIs should be carried out by organisations. Provisions of condoms and other contraceptive methods should be discussed with them so that they protect themselves as well as their partners.
The health department’s intervention is required to register female sexual workers who are HIV positive and offer them treatment through proper channels. The residents of DHA should also play a part by keeping a check on the activity of their domestic help and chauffeurs, who may be carrying STIs, at risk of infecting their spouses once they visit their hometowns. Also, food handlers, baby sitters and maids should be given adequate information on hygiene and the risks of STIs.
Although prostitution has its accompanying stigma, if it is ignored further it can have devastating consequences on our health and social well-being.
http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/18295/dha-the-hub-of-open-air-prostitution-in-karachi/
Lahore Police: the new pimp in town?
Two young women and one middle aged woman are standing on the curb near a private petrol pump just before Hussain Chowk in Gulberg around 10pm. One Jehangir Ahmed* stopped his motorcycle in front of them and begins bargaining. A rate is agreed and one young woman seats herself on the motorcycle. About 500 metres later on Mahmood Kasuri Road, two policemen of the Muhafiz Squad wave Ahmed to stop. A few minutes later Ahmed hands them some notes, the girl gets off and he drives off.
“I was trying to obtain the services of a prostitute. The negotiation went well and we agreed a rate of Rs 2,000 for an hour, but the police stopped me only a few metres later and she told them she was a prostitute,” Ahmad told Pakistan Today. “I paid Rs 4,000 to be let go. The police and the prostitute appeared to be in cahoots.”
Gulberg SHO Sheikh Aamir admitted that a number of transgenders and prostitutes offer their services on the roadside in the wee hours of the night. Asked how many cases they had registered, Aamir said they had registered only two cases in the last two months against transgenders in the last two months. He said the low number of cases was because most of the girls and men manage to flee when the police come near.
Pimping – the practice of making available prostitutes – was long considered a task for pimps, with police considered the guardian, waiting in the wings to make the arrest for any shady activity seen forthwith. The tables have now turned. The practice of pimping now has state protection.
The practice of roadside pimping has reached its peak in heat-struck Lahore as prostitutes – both women and transgendered – now man set locations around the city with police complicity.
Women and transgenders can be seen standing after 10pm every night on MM Alam Road, National Park near Kalma Underpass, Campus Road in Faisal Town, Main Boulevard in Iqbal Town, near Liberty Chowk, Canal Road near Thokar Niaz Baig, near Ze Grill in Johar Town and other main areas in the city.
Samia, a transgender who stands at a curb, told Pakistan Today that they offer services to those who cannot afford women. “When we have to stand on any location in Lahore, we tell the police in advance and make an arrangement. They take a cut of our earnings, but it allows us to make a living,” she said.
Arooj, who has been offering services as a prostitute for 15 years, said she has to work with police complicity as she has now aged. “When the high and mighty individuals who seek our services are caught by police, they pay any amount to save their respect,” she told Pakistan Today. “The police give us half the cut and let us continue our work,” she said.
She said that the entire business had now moved to Defence, Johar Town, Iqbal Town, Sabzazar, Model Town and other posh localities. She said the roadside business was one of their main ways of earning. “If we do not take police support, then how will we make a living,” she said.
A police official speaking on anonymity said that hundreds of such locations existed in the city in which police and prostitutes are in cahoots. He said police make an arrangement to share half the cut on every customer, or sometimes they agree that they will catch the first three clients and then let the prostitutes keep the rest.
When Pakistan Today asked DHA Police Station SHO Mian Qadeer Ahmed about the situation in his area, Ahmed said such activities were rarely witnessed in Defence. He said they had registered two cases against transgenders for posing as beggars. No cases however were registered against any prostitutes or men seeking their services.
The IG police’s spokesperson said while it was true that some police officials take money to let prostitutes and their clients go, they would take action if anyone gives them any specific complaint. He said that the Punjab Police now had educated officials who were doing their duty with sincerity.
- See more at: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/201...ce-the-new-pimp-in-town/#sthash.56IgLjyn.dpuf
300 brothels operating in Islamabad
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - Islamabad—Prostitution is on the rise in Federal Capital as around 300 new brothels have been opened , in addition to illegal pubs. According to sources, these brothels are operating in sector G-10, G-11, Shahzad town, Burma town, Alipur, Ghauri town, Pakistan town, adjoining locality of Khanna bridge, Shakaryal and Pak PWD colony, especially in the jurisdiction of 3 police stations. According to sources, the police station that covers areas also including Ghauri town has made a strategy to eliminate all the brothels operating in the area without the distinction of old and new ones.
Police has also begun action against the old prostitution-houses in Shahzad town, leaving aside the newly established brothels, and has received appreciation from the high-ups. It is expected that minor action against the old houses of prostitution will continue in the coming days.
The local police is aware of the practice of prostitution going on in residential flats and bungalows in sector G-11, and a particular place is also told to have a group of 50 prostitutes. It is a favorite location of certain influential officials, sources said.— Online
http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=159743
What drives prostitution
ISLAMABAD: Poverty is the major reason people get into prostitution, said Aleem Baig, President of Gender Reproductive Health Forum. A survey conducted by the organisation in 2002 revealed that there were around 20,000 sex workers active in Islamabad, with private businesses operating in almost every sector of the city.
“A few months ago, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani promised that sex workers will be given jobs and a monthly stipend of Rs2500, but that has not happened to date,” said Baig.
Advisor to Prime Minister on Women Development, Yasmeen Rehman, said that being an Islamic state, the government wanted to abolish prostitution from the country, however, “Nothing can be done unless they [sex workers] approach the government and demand their rights collectively”.
The 28-year-old dancer and sex worker Shehla told the Express Tribune that all she wanted to do was to quit and lead a normal life, but could not afford to. “My past is my curse; I have no way out,” she said as she wiped a tear from her cheek.
“The issue of sex workers in Pakistan is a taboo and has never been discussed openly,” said Executive Director for Women’s Organization for Rights and Development Aqsa Khan.
“Since Pakistan’s inception, no NGO or government organization has worked for the rights and rehabilitation of sex workers; they are only taken into consideration when talking about HIV/AIDS,” she accused.
Khan said Islamabad sees its fair share of prostitution but most of it is carried out in secret. She added that although the trend of “red-light sex workers” was decreasing, the sex business had found a new ally for itself in the internet.
Shehla, originally from Bhawalpur, came to Islamabad after her marriage. But happy her marriage was not, as she was forced to live alongside a man who cheated on her and abused her. When the police raided their house and found drugs that her husband used to peddle on streets, she was taken into custody alongside him. She was convicted and sent to prison.
It was her sister, Noor, who contacted her after her sentence and took her to a house. It was here that Shehla was introduced to prostitution for the first time. “What else could I have done? My family left me, my husband cheated on me, I had no place to go and no money,” she said in her defence.
Noor, her sister, has a story of her own to tell. Narrating her ordeal, Noor said she came to Islamabad to earn an “honest living”.
Discouraged by the lack of jobs, one of her friends introduced her to a female sex worker known as “Aunty”, who hired her as a dancer.
While performing in a dance club, a nephew of a well-known politician fell in love with her and the two got married. “After my marriage I left dancing, but his family did not accept me. Soon afterwards my husband left me, leaving me with no other option but to resort to prostitution,” said Noor.
Another sex worker, Jiya, wanted to be a model but ended up becoming a club dancer.
She was originally from Multan and came to Islamabad to get married. Her husband, who used to arrange her dance shows, later forced her into prostitution to boost the ‘family income’.
“When I got pregnant, my husband insisted I get an abortion, which I refused,” said Jiya. Her husband abandoned her when she was unable to dance in her pregnant state.
After her son’s birth, her financial conditions forced her to resume prostitution, which has taken its toll on her mental health, as she suffers from deep bouts of depression. “All I wanted was a decent life and a small family,” she sobbed as she recalled the circumstances that forced her into prostitution.
Naina, a graduate, was forced into prostitution after her husband died, leaving her to provide for their four children and her frail father-and-law.
“I wanted to get a job. I tried my luck everywhere,” she said. But her deteriorating financial conditions got the better of her. “My children and father-in-law do not know that I work as a sex worker. I told them I work at a parlour,” Naina told The Express Tribune. Names of the sex workers have been changed to protect their identity
Published in The Express Tribune, September 14[SUP]th[/SUP], 2010.
