Prostitution in Pakistan
[3][4] In some areas of the country prostitution is strictly illegal and traditionally punishable by death, especially in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan regions.
This new nobility was incapable of taking the role of patrons like earlier kings, and so the British provided much need patronage for the profession to grow and regulated the trade.
The British colonialists enacted special laws, created "red light" areas and assigned the task of protecting women sex workers to law-enforcing agencies.
Municipalities overlooking the sex districts were given the responsibility of collecting taxes and providing health and sanitation services to the brothels.
[14] Where Lahore and Multan were the known contenders in the trade, other cities also had their own red-light districts which may include Ghulam abad and Aminpur bazar in Faisalabad Napier Road in Karachi and Qasai Gali in Rawalpindi.
[16] Trafficked women are mainly found in the brothels, while those who willingly join this profession work as call girls, usually accompanied by a dalal or bharva or pimp.
[18] A recent study indicated that major cities like Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan have large population of sex workers.
A few cities have red-light districts, but due to illegal status of prostitution, many sex workers work in homes or hotels dispersed throughout urban areas and residential suburbs.
[20] Homosexual men belonging to the upper and middle classes frequently pick up male prostitutes from video game shops, restaurants and cold-drinks spots.
Young male prostitutes generally find customers in places like dark alleys, crowded bus stops, shopping centres, cinemas, hotel lobbies, parks, railway stations, hospitals, school compounds, elevators of public buildings etc.
Sabzi Mandi, Lea Market, Landhi, Malir, and Lyari in Karachi are places visited by homosexuals from lower income groups.
Clients in these areas primarily consist of bus drivers and conductors, night watchmen, labourers from upcountry, policemen, low-income government officials, small-time businesspersons etc.
[23][24] Male prostitution has become common place in the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and has taken roots in the society as a norm and sign of financial muscle.
Bacha bazi as it is known, where children especially young boys are dressed as women and forced to sing and dance in front of men, who later take them for sexual pleasure and pay the family.
Under Section 377 of the Pakistan Penal Code, whoever voluntarily has "carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal" shall be punished by 100 lashes and from 2 years to life imprisonment.
Police frequently take money or sex from people they know to be involved in commercial or non-commercial homosexual relationship.
Other carnal activities, red-light districts and brothels remain illegal business and operate as an open secret let be by offering huge sums in bribe to the police.
NGOs report boys are subjected to sex trafficking around hotels, truck stops, bus stations, and shrines.
Illegal labor agents charge high recruitment fees to parents in return for employing their children, some of whom are subjected to sex trafficking.
Women and girls from Afghanistan, China, Russia, Nepal, Iran, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan are reportedly subjected to sex trafficking in Pakistan.
Refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Burma, including Rohingya, as well as religious and ethnic minorities such as Christians and Hazaras, are particularly vulnerable to trafficking in Pakistan.
