ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office said on Saturday the government was working with China to address grievances of Pakistani individuals following revelations this week that a network of illicit marriage brokers was luring Pakistani women to China where they were forced into the prostitution and organ trades.
Pakistani authorities have made dozens of arrests this week, including on Friday when officials stopped two Chinese men and three Pakistani women from boarding a flight to China at the Islamabad Airport.
The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan has said a joint Pak-China probe into the allegations had found no evidence to claims that Pakistani women married to Chinese men were being forced into prostitution or organ sale.
In China, demand for foreign brides has mounted, a legacy of the one-child policy that skewed the country’s gender balance toward males.
“The Government of China had offered all possible cooperation on the issue,” the foreign office said in a statement. “Both sides are closely coordinating their efforts. In this context, a Chinese team visited Pakistan recently and held meetings with our law enforcement officials.”
The statement said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Pakistan Missions in China were “closely monitoring” the situation and extending all possible assistance to Pakistani citizens who had complaints.
The foreign office also said an investigation into the matter by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security had found “no forced prostitution or sale of human organs of Pakistani women who stay in China after marriage with Chinese nationals.”
It advised the media to avoid “sensationalization” reporting on the matter and said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant departments of the Chinese government would continue to coordinate on the matter “to address the grievances of the affected individuals, bring the culprits to justice, and ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future.”
The arrests in Pakistan came a week after Human Rights Watch said Pakistan should be alarmed by recent reports of trafficking of women and girls into sexual slavery in China. It said the allegations were disturbingly similar to the pattern of trafficking of “brides” to China from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and North Korea.
Chinese men typically pay brokers between $10,000 and $20,000 for a foreign wife, a 2016 United Nations report said.
Pakistan, China ‘closely monitoring’ forced prostitution, trafficking allegations
Pakistan, China ‘closely monitoring’ forced prostitution, trafficking allegations
- This week Pakistan said it had busted a prostitution ring that sent young Pakistani women to China
- Hundreds of Christian women reportedly trafficked to meet a growing demand for foreign brides in China
Pakistan warn England’s flaky batting to expect a trial by spin
- Pakistan desperately need a win after their first match against New Zealand was washed out
- A defeat would put England, who skittled Sri Lanka, through to the semis with a game to spare
Pallekele: Pakistan on Monday warned England’s inconsistent batting line-up to expect a trial by spin when the teams clash in the T20 World Cup Super Eights.
Pakistan batsman Sahibzada Farhan told reporters that England struggled to 146-9 against Sri Lanka’s spinners on Sunday.
Farhan said that England can expect more of the same from Pakistan’s spinners when they meet on the same Pallekele ground in Kandy on Tuesday night.
Pakistan desperately need a win after their first match against New Zealand was washed out.
A defeat would put England, who skittled Sri Lanka for 95 to win by 51 runs, through to the semifinals with a game to spare.
Pakistan would then need to beat Sri Lanka in their final Super Eights match and hope other results go their way to reach the last four.
“What we saw in the Sri Lanka-England game was that the ball was gripping and England struggled against spin,” said the in-form opener Farhan on Monday.
“Sri Lanka have one or two spinners but we have five in all so we will give England a tough time on a pitch that looks good and will grip,” said Farhan.
Pakistan’s spinners have taken 26 wickets in the four matches so far. Their seamers have dismissed only seven batsmen.
History will be against Pakistan as they have never beaten England in three previous Twenty20 World Cup clashes.
“We are confident and our morale is high,” said Farhan, who scored an unbeaten 100 against Namibia in Pakistan’s final group match.
“We are focused on this match to win and progress.”
Farhan, who tops the T20 World Cup run-scoring chart with 220, said he was ready for the threat of England’s express pace bowler Jofra Archer.
“Facing Archer will not be difficult because I have faced similar bowlers in Pakistan,” said Farhan.
“So if he has plans against me, I also have plans against him.”
Pakistan are likely to bring in spinner Abrar Ahmed in place of seaming all-rounder Faheem Ashraf.
England may name an unchanged side for the fifth match in succession with Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, Adil Rashid and Jacob Bethell providing their spin options.
Sri Lanka and New Zealand are the two other teams in Pakistan and England’s Super Eights group. They face each other in Colombo on Wednesday.
The top two teams will qualify for the semifinals.
