LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Human Rights Wing leader Mian Waheed chaired an emergency press conference at his residence on Sunday, during which he presented a young girl — Aleena — who had managed to escape from a brothel house in the provincial metropolis.

Addressing the press conference, Aleena revealed that she hailed from Malam Jabba, Swat. She told of how her family had died in the 2005 earthquake. “Later, while I was living in a camp, two women — Mehru and Shazia — approached me and said they wanted to adopt me,” Aleena said, adding that the women convinced her to live with them in Lahore.

“After staying with them in Lahore for a few days, I realized that they were running brothel houses in various parts of the city, including Allama Iqbal Town and Defence Housing Authority (DHA),” the girl revealed. She alleged that the women forced her into prostitution and severely tortured her upon her refusal to cooperate.

Wounds: Displaying wounds and burns on different parts of her body, she said the women and their accomplices used to burn her with cigarettes whenever she refused to sell her body. Aleena revealed the addresses and all other details of two brothel houses being run in Allama Iqbal Town and one in DHA. She further disclosed that Mehru and Shazia had taken several girls from the earthquake-affected areas and brought them to Lahore, forcing all of them to work in the brothel houses.

Appeal: “A couple of weeks ago I successfully escaped one of the prostitution dens,” she said, adding that she then contacted PPP’s HR Wing’s office bearer Amna Malik, who verified all the details submitted in an application with the Defence police for the registration of a case against the two women. “Mehru and Shazia are now threatening me and Amna of dire consequences,” Aleena said, appealing to the authorities concerned to immediately act against the said brothel houses and recover the innocent girls being forced into prostitution.
Source: Daily Times
Date:5/10/2010