Pakistan's Hidden Shame

This documentary premiered on 1st of September 2014 on Britain's Channel 4 and shows the dark reality of a society living in denial, turning a blind eye to the sexual exploitation of many thousands of poor and vulnerable children.

It is estimated that over 4 million children across Pakistan are forced to work from an early age due to poverty. Of these, up to one and a half million live on the streets with no home to go to. For the poorest kid in Peshawar (capital of Pakistan), often the only source of income is picking garbage from gutters and waste dumps for recycling; working up to 14 hours a day for a petty sum of money. Poor parents have no shame in abusing their children physically to force them to gather garbage in large sacks home. But that's not whole problem as to why Pakistan should be ashamed.

Most of the street kids are fearful when collecting garbage, especially if they are wandering alone. These little children are bothered everyday. Bus drivers and van drivers are the reasons as the try to lure children to climb on the roof of bus, in exchange of money or food. Why? Cause they are pedophiles, who think that sexually abusing children is fun.

With no where to sleep, many hang out around the bus man terminal, where beds are laid out in the open each evening, for drivers to catch them sleep between journeys. And there are adults making a living out of this activity. If asked more about their business activities, they would simply reply that they only rent beds. They are aware that children are sometimes raped. They may often act as pimp and uses the small boys for themselves.

At bus and truck terminals, drivers and conductors often keep boys on a permanent basis as helpers or apprentices and these boys are also kept as a prostitute or sexual partner. And when some minority voice out their discontent over the matter, the majority replicates by saying that they have exaggerated views. Most of the Pakistanis are in denial. In one survey, carried out by a children's charity, 90% of the drivers admitted that having sex with boys were they main entertainment. And some local surveys have estimated that 9 out of every 10 street kids have been abused. If accurate,that puts the figure on a national scale in the hundreds of thousands.

On top of that, the adult living on the streets give drugs to the boys, creating a high level of dependency for the boys on the illegal substances. Pakistan has over a million heroin users and almost 30% of them are HIV positive. When kids don't have enough money for the drugs, they spend all night with the drivers.

In many cases, the abused becomes the abuser as they have stable earning or authority. This sinful act becomes a routine for many in Pakistan. Out of 10 children abused 1 ends up dead as their abuser kills them to protect their entity.

As per psychologists, the attraction to young boys stems from the rigid segregation of the sexes, where women are considered as inferior gender, protected from the public gaze and having few rights. The 2014 Health Organization Report places such gender inequality at the very top of causes of child abuse. As per Pakistanis, they are not allowed to bring their women everywhere with them whereas they can openly roam with the young boys. Let me remind you that these Pakistanis are very religious, looking for a good wife who is also religious and respectable. They believe that Islam is the most important to them but they still abuse young boys, which is against Islam. They blame their immoral sex activity on their sexual need. This is forbidden under Islamic law. Islam does not allow sex between the same gender. A 2010 UNICEF Report suggest that traditional Pakistani cultural values of purity and protection of women have contributed to men preying on boys.

Government shows little concern about this matter and so does the police force as their focus remains on terrorism.

Source

Director Mohammed Naqvi,and British producer Jamie Doran's film Pakistan’s Hidden Shame depicts the shocking reality of sexual abuse faced by small boys in the Northern areas of Pakistan.