Lahore court grants bail to two Chinese men held for human trafficking

A Lahore sessions court on Tuesday accepted the bail applications of two Chinese men who the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) alleged were involved in human trafficking and using their wives for prostitution.

The court delivered its verdict following the testimony of the men’s wives. According to the women, they had married their husbands lawfully and wished to continue living with them.

“The FIA’s case is not based on facts,” one of the wives told the court.

The FIA prosecutor, on the other hand, said that the two men were involved in using their Pakistani wives for prostitution in China and that they would flee the country if given bail.

After hearing the arguments, the court ruled in favour of bail.

FIA has over the past two months arrested scores of Chinese nationals and their suspected local abettors from various parts of the country in connection with its investigation into a transnational gang allegedly involved in contracting fake marriages between Chinese men and Pakistani women, who are later forced into prostitution and the illegal organ trade.

The Foreign Office has backed the Chinese government’s stance on the matter and said that Beijing has offered Islamabad “all possible cooperation” in the matter.

“The relevant authorities from both the governments are in close contact on this issue,” the spokesperson had said in a press release. “The government of China had offered all possible cooperation on the issue, which was highly appreciated. Both sides are closely coordinating their efforts.”

The FO spokesperson also endorsed the Chinese embassy’s statement, which said that “it is essential to avoid sensationalism” and that “sensitive matters should be reported only on the basis of established facts.