LAHORE, June 16: Nine women of Central Asian States arrested by the FIA last month may face an imprisonment of up to 10 years for their illegal stay in Pakistan on tempered with documents and alleged involvement in prostitution, officials told Dawn on Friday. The FIA had raided a brothel in Wapda Town on the information of an intelligence agency and arrested the women, most of them belong to Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, and two local men.

Initially, the FIA had booked them under the Foreigners Act as they were overstaying here for more than a year on forged documents. Since the women failed to satisfy the agency about their activities and source of income it charged them with the Human Trafficking Ordinance 2002.

Officials told this reporter that the women could face imprisonment of up to 10 years — three years under the foreigners act (illegal stay) and seven years under the HTO (prostitution).

They said this was the first time that the agency had booked some foreign women under the HTO. “Booking them under the HTO will certainly help curb this menace,” passport circle (Lahore) deputy director Azhar Mahmood said. He said the agency had submitted an incomplete challan to the court.

He said the women’s head had illegally obtained the national identity card besides the interior ministry had already issued her deportation orders in 2004.

However, a source said the FIA failed to trace the people (Pakistanis) patronizing the women. He said the owner of the house was a former government employee who managed to evade the arrest. He said the FIA also did not try to find out clients of the women.

The interior ministry last year had also ordered the immigration authorities across the country to prevent young Pakistani women from accompanying cultural troupes to the Middle Eastern countries, especially Dubai, as they indulge in “objectionable” activities there.

The decision was reportedly taken on complaints from foreign governments and Pakistani expatriates that a large number of young women from Pakistan visit these countries on the pretext of participating in cultural shows. But they get involved in “other” activities, which earn a bad name to the country.