Islamabad, March 15, 2025 – Despite mounting concerns over human trafficking, Pakistani authorities continue to struggle in preventing the illegal trafficking of women to China. Criminal networks operating between the two countries have been luring vulnerable Pakistani women into fraudulent marriages, only to subject them to abuse, forced prostitution, and even organ trafficking upon arrival in China. The issue has persisted for years, driven by economic hardships, demographic imbalances, and weak law enforcement.

In a recent case, authorities at Islamabad International Airport arrested three individuals involved in a human trafficking network that preyed on Pakistani women. The suspects, identified as Shougui (Yousuf), Abdul Rehman, and Muhammad Nauman, were intercepted while attempting to take a young woman to China under false promises of marriage and employment. The victim, who was taken into protective custody, had been sold for PKR 1 million, with PKR 150,000 already paid to her family. Investigators revealed that the suspects arranged fake marriages, travel documents, and logistics for their victims, working with a Chinese accomplice named Paul, who facilitated transactions with buyers in China.

Pakistan’s fragile economy and dependence on Chinese financial assistance have made it particularly vulnerable to human trafficking networks. The country remains heavily reliant on China through initiatives such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), creating an uneasy power dynamic. Many believe that Islamabad’s reluctance to take decisive action stems from its fear of jeopardizing diplomatic and economic ties with Beijing. Reports indicate that Chinese authorities have pressured Pakistan to suppress media coverage of trafficking cases to prevent diplomatic fallout.

The trafficking crisis is fueled by China’s gender imbalance, a legacy of the one-child policy, which has left an estimated 30 to 40 million men without prospective brides. To address this shortage, Chinese traffickers have turned to countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam, exploiting impoverished communities. Pakistan, in particular, has become a prime target due to its economic struggles and weak governance. Victims, primarily from Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, are often Christian or from other marginalized communities. Their families, desperate for financial relief, are deceived into believing their daughters will find a better life abroad.

Despite the formation of Anti-Human Trafficking Cells in Pakistan, efforts to dismantle these networks have been ineffective. Previous crackdowns, such as the 2019 arrests of dozens of individuals, including Chinese nationals, failed to yield long-term results. Many cases were dropped due to diplomatic pressure from China, and bribery has reportedly allowed traffickers to continue their operations unchecked. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have documented similar trafficking patterns in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam, where women and girls are sold into sexual slavery.

Christian human rights activist Saleem Iqbal, who has been tracking these fraudulent marriages, estimates that at least 700 Pakistani women, mostly Christian, have been trafficked to China in just over a year. Many disappear, leaving their fate unknown. The 2023 U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons report confirmed that traffickers specifically target impoverished Christian communities in Pakistan, exploiting their economic vulnerabilities to send women to China under the guise of arranged marriages.

While Pakistani authorities acknowledge the problem, their response remains largely symbolic. Islamabad’s hesitancy to confront China on this issue has left countless women at risk. Rights groups and international organizations have urged Pakistan to take stronger measures to protect its citizens and dismantle trafficking networks. However, with economic dependency on Beijing dictating policy decisions, there is little hope that the Pakistani government will take assertive action to prevent further human rights abuses.