Money, smartphones and valuable gifts are the things that are easily tempting the young and poor boys of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in sexual activities and they are exploited by a huge number of people in the province.
Jinnah Park Peshawar is acting as a stronghold for these young sex workers. Many stories are there but the main thing is how it all happens? Pre-dominantly in the beginning, a relative or anyone in the friends exploits the sex worker and then he passes him on to some other friend or relative. Slowly and gradually the sex worker finds other ways to meet many new customers.
Jinnah Park is a family park and a public point on the main G.T road in Peshawar and after 8 PM the park becomes empty. This is the time when the sex workers and their exploiters rule this park. This park is very infamous for these kinds of activities.
Main customers of these young sex workers are not limited to any category but from drivers, daily wages laborers, security personnel and many other rich and poor people from almost all walks of life are involved in such activities. Not only this business is run in local market but the boys are supplied to other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well.
Since there is no awareness and help available at government level, once a boy gets into this kind of business, then it becomes almost impossible for him to come out of this business.
Sahil, an NGO working for the rights of the children disclosed that in 2014, 284 homosexuality cases were reported in Pakistan but 80% of the cases are never reported and this number actually is much huge as reported.
Habiba Salman, a senior social worker working currently with the NGO Sahil has said that friends and family members are mostly the ones who target children in tender age and teachers, police and religious leaders in masjids are also involved in these kinds of activities.
The government must take these issues seriously and curb this hidden and organized crime in the bud by running campaigns in order to spread awareness in the society.
