LAHORE: Nagina, 23, was initially reluctant to tell what she was going to do in Dubai when the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) quizzed her at Lahore airport on Tuesday.

When she was informed that her “promoter” had been arrested on charges of smuggling her and another girl, Sheena, to Dubai, she got ready to reveal the bitter reality behind an apparently innocuous foreign trip.

The FIA on Tuesday stopped Asif Ali, Nagina and Sheena from proceeding to Dubai at the Allama Iqbal International Airport. It arrested Asif on charges of human smuggling.

Read: Agony of Pakistani women enslaved by Dubai sex trade

“I live in Lahore and I am a dancer by profession. Since I am not getting work here these days, my family contacted promoter Javed Khan to get her some work in a Dubai hotel,” Nagina said.

When asked what kind of work she was expecting to get in the opulent Gulf state, she said: “May be dancing”. But when the FIA official grilled her, she opened up.

“If you want to listen in plain words ... yes our promoters and some in the family forced us to work as prostitutes there. I am told by my friends who earlier visited Dubai, to make money I will have to do it. I am also categorically told this by a member of my family and the promoter,” Nagina said with remorse and hasten to ask, “Are you going to arrest me and Sheena.”

“No! If you testify in the court of law against Javed and others for sending young girls like you to Dubai for prostitution, we will rather facilitate and protect you,” the official interrogating them assured the both girls and they agreed.

The FIA, after getting a written undertaking from both girls, let them go home -- Nagina to Lahore and Sheena to Sheikhupura.

“Both the girls are not suspects. We consider them victims and they will be our witnesses against Asif Ali and others involved in this heinous crime,” FIA Lahore region Director Dr Usman Anwer told Dawn.

“The FIA needs their help to track down the people involved in this crime,” he said, adding Javed Khan alias Kalu Khan is the ringleader of this gang of so-called “talent promoters”.

Dr Anwer admitted the difficulty in tracking down such gangs since the girls and promoters were leaving the country for Dubai with genuine visas and the authorities had no legal ground to stop them from traveling unless they are tipped off.

“We have started preparing the list of dubious talent promoters in Lahore after this incident. We have taken up this challenge and we will put up our best effort to stop the exploitation of young women at the hands of such elements,” the FIA director said.

Laying hand on that mafia did not mean moral policing, said Dr Anwer, adding that the agency’s efforts were aimed at freeing the oppressed girls of “slavery”.

Lahore FIA immigration head Chaudhry Ahmed told Dawn eight passports along with Dubai visas of young women were also recovered from Asif Ali.

“A case has been registered against Asif, Javed Khan and their accomplices under Anti-Human Trafficking Ordinance and the Passport Act,” Mr Ahmed said.

(The names of the girls have been changed to protect their identity).

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2015

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