Children for Sale: Trafficking by Foreign Embassies

Karachi: Solid evidences have revealed that foreign embassies in Pakistan are involved in illegal child trafficking. NGOs sponsored and supported by foreign embassies are adopting new born Pakistani Muslim children and sending them abroad, whereas local welfare organizations are also involved in the crime. According to Pakistan’s law, non-Muslims cannot adopt Muslims.

However, reality speaks differently. A foreign couple employed in a foreign embassy holding Passport No. 19124346 and 19124345 adopted a 6 month old child Zara Bilquis from a renowned welfare organization. The welfare organization permitted that the child can be migrated to another country after adoption.

Passport copies of foreigners involved in child trafficking

However, serious mismatching of facts was revealed when the documents where reviewed in detail. The documents state that the child was adopted by the couple on August 21, 2009, whereas, birth certificate of the child K00680496 was prepared a month earlier on July 27, 2009 and the name of couple was already mentioned as parents instead of original parents.

An important source relating to the case told The Eastern Tribune that in the last two decades, more than 40,000 Muslim children have been smuggled from Pakistan. The source claimed that these children are converted to Christianity and can be used against the interest of Pakistan. Several incidents of child trafficking by foreign NGOs were also reported right after the 2005 earthquake in the northern areas of Pakistan. “These NGOs take advantage of the IR-4 visa classification of the United States,” the source claimed.

The IR-4 visa classification signifies that the orphan will be adopted by the petitioner after being admitted to the United States.  In order to issue an IR-4 visa, the consular officer must be satisfied that the petitioner both intends to adopt the beneficiary in the U.S. and is legally able to do so.  The petitioner must have secured permanent legal custody of the orphan under the laws of the orphan’s home country.  That custody must be sufficient to allow the child to be taken from the country and adopted abroad.  In addition, the petitioner must have fulfilled any applicable pre-adoption requirements of their home state.

However, none of the requirements were followed when these foreign NGOs adopted new born children in Pakistan and smuggled them abroad. Sources also revealed that the Government of Pakistan does not even have correct facts and figures regarding the adopted children by foreign NGOs, leave aside the violation of Pakistani and international law.

- Special Report by Tariq Habib