Nearly 630 Pakistan Girls Sold as Brides to China

629 girls and women from across Pakistan were sold as brides to Chinese men and brought to China. Associated Press obtained a list of these girls and women – the list was compiled by Pakistani investigators. It was put together using Pakistan’s integrated border management system, “which digitally records travel documents at the country’s airports,” said Fox News. The list had the brides’ national identity numbers, their Chinese husbands’ names, and the dates of their marriages.

According to Associated Press, “the list gives the most concrete figure yet for the number of women caught up in the trafficking schemes since 2018.”

The investigators were determined to break up trafficking networks “exploiting the country’s poor and vulnerable,” but their drive against the networks has “largely ground to a halt.” Some officials say it is because of pressure from government officials who fear affecting Pakistan’s ties to Beijing.

Fox News added that it was not immediately clear how many more women and girls were trafficked since the list was compiled this summer, but one official said, “the lucrative trade continues.”

Senior officials who are familiar with the events said investigations into trafficking have slowed. According to one official, “no one is doing anything to help these girls. The whole racket is continuing, and it is growing. Why? Because they know they can get away with it. The authorities won’t follow through, everyone is being pressured to not investigate. Trafficking is increasing now.”

China’s Foreign Ministry said it was unaware of the list.