KARACHI, Sept 18: Two young camel-jockeys, known as camel kids, arrived here from Dubai through the PIA flight PK-214 Thursday afternoon.
Eight-year-old Mohammad, who identifies himself as Qamar Abbas, and his six-year-old brother, Mohammad Saleem, were issued Out-Passes (Nos: SS 242278 and SS 242277 respectively) by the Pakistan Mission in the United Arab Emirates.
The two children, talking to Dawn at the office of the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) said that they did not remember as to when had they left the country for Dubai or who had taken them to Emirates.
Speaking in Punjabi language, they said that they had been riding camels of an Arab Shaikh in races and were paid 100 Dirhams for upon winning a race. In case of losing a race, they added, they had to face severe punishment.
The children, many marks of injuries visible on their bodies, said that they were afraid of camel riding when started a training during which they fell down several a times.
They revealed that they had been accommodated in a stable on the outskirts of the city and that there were many other children sharing the stable many of whom remained strangers to them. However, they added, four of the children, Umer Gul, Mohammaduddin, Rashid and Hamdu, had developed friend with them.
The camel-kids complained that they had been fed daal (pulses) and roti in meals during the ‘tenure’ and that there had hardly been a day when the quantity of food was adequate. The OPF chief, Mushtaq Ahmad, said that the children were being handed over to Mr Saleem Beg, head of the Edhi Foundation’s Korangi Centre where they would be staying till a reunion with their families. He said that the camel-kids remembered just “Chak 4” as their home address and it would be very difficult to locate their family. Nevertheless, he said, the OPF would put in every effort for a reunion. He said that the children’s family, relatives or acquaintances could contact the OPF at 20 A/2, Block 6, PECHS, off Sharea Faisal or phone numbers: 4534686 and 4534868.
Since April, the OPF has received 32 young camel jockeys from the Gulf and handed them over to their parents.
About the two brothers, Mr Ahmad said that they were originally scheduled to return last week but the delay was caused by some changes in the UAE laws, recently-introduced legal formalities (finger-printing), etc. Sources pointed out that children from poor countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sudan had long been smuggled to the UAE for their onward sale to some influential Arabs who use them as camel jockeys in the popular game of camel racing. The UAE government, following immense pressure from child rights organizations and international bodies against cruelty with children, has introduced tough new laws to curb the menace. However, a strict implementation of the laws is yet to be observed as the child-smuggling mafia and influential Arab employers of such jockeys appeared strong enough to stand the pressure either one the part of the government or the world bodies.
The sources also spoke of the connivance of various Pakistani agencies with the human traffickers’ cartels which helps the illegal trade flourish.