Trafficking of Christian girls to China adds to woes of minorities in Pakistan

The girls from the Christian minority community in Pakistan are not forcibly married to Chinese but trafficked to China and subsequently subjected to prostitution.

Various Pakistani media reports reveal that church clerics of Pakistan and the Chinese traffickers, who are working in liaison, are using the medium of marriage to send the innocent women across the border.

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) crackdown in the month of May this year had confirmed that more than 100 girls had been trafficked till then.

"So far, we have confirmed data of about 100 girls trafficked in this manner but the actual number will be far greater. We are searching further," said Tariq Chauhan, Deputy Director, FIA.

Different reports are suggestive of at least 700 such marriages in the last one year. Some experts have also termed it an exercise to meet the growing demand of foreign brides in the country, which is suffering owing to rising gender imbalance caused by its one-child policy.

The modus operandi of perpetrators has been to target impoverished Christian families and lure them into marrying off their daughters against significant amounts of money.

Both the daughter and parents are promised a good life. However, once the marriage is done, the girls are transported to China to endure a life of suffering.

They are subjected to slave-treatment by the owners and are made to earn for them through prostitution.

Christian activists call it a conspiracy against their religion. They accuse Pakistan establishment of being complicit in the crime. Pakistani authorities, they say, have given in to the pressure of religious hardliners in the country who are against the existence of any religion except Islam in Pakistan.

Frank John, Chairman of Drumchapel Asian Forum in Glasgow, had recently said: "The Mawlawi's (Islamic cleric) attitude towards Christians is not good. Almost every day, our children face discrimination. This is unacceptable."

Christians have time and again accused Pakistan establishment of hatching a conspiracy against them.

Asia Bibi is one example who was on death row, before being set free by the Supreme Court, for merely touching a glass of water which Islamists had asked her not to.