LAHORE, Nov 12: The Lahore High Court directed the Punjab inspector-general of police and the home secretary on Tuesday to submit reports in respect of the sale of human organs in the province.

Justice M. Javed Buttar issued the directions on a writ petition, filed by advocate M.D. Tahir on the basis of a newspaper report.

The report said that 400 people in Suktanpur Mela and Chara Kalan villages of Sargodha district had sold their kidneys for paying off their loans.

Twelve men of a family were among those who had sold their kidneys.

The petitioner submitted that the sale of body parts was on the increase in the country because of growing poverty. The rich landlords often mortgaged entire families of peasants by advancing loans and they were forced to sell their organs to pay off the debt.

He submitted that some greedy doctors were hand in glove with the human organ traders and were instrumental in convincing their poor victims to sell their body parts.

He submitted that deterrent punishments should be prescribed for those involved in the promotion of the cruel and inhuman trade of human organs.