FIA detains the chairperson of an NGO on charges
The Anti-Human Trafficking Circle of the Federal Investigation Agency has apprehended the leader of a private non-governmental organization on allegations of unlawfully sending orphaned children overseas under the guise of operating a welfare organization.
The individual in question, Mubina Qasim, was taken into custody after her application for pre-arrest bail was rejected. This operation was initiated following a formal complaint lodged by the US Consulate General in Karachi.
As per the First Information Report (FIR), Qasim was at the helm of an NGO named Hope, which is believed to have trafficked a minimum of 23 orphaned children from 2006 to 2015.These children were reportedly assigned to families in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and Karachi.
Despite the organization’s claims of being a welfare entity, it was never registered with the Sindh Social Welfare Department and did not possess an authorized shelter for children.
Investigators assert that Qasim utilized forged documents, including fraudulent guardianship papers and medical records, to assist in the US visa applications for the children. The FIR further indicates that numerous children had been abandoned near hospitals and were later placed with families through the internal network of the NGO.
The US Consulate expressed concerns to Pakistani authorities after identifying irregularities in adoption cases associated with Hope, which led the FIA to commence its investigation.
With her bail application denied, Qasim was taken into custody for further interrogation, and officials have suggested that more arrests may occur as the investigation continues.
The FIR also charges the NGO with neglect, claiming that children under its care were provided with leftover food and were denied proper shelter, which exacerbates the gravity of the allegations.
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