Pakistan's Illegal Organ Trade Thrives on Poverty and Corruption

According to a report in an online magazine, 'The Diplomat,' without stronger external enforcement mechanisms and enhanced international cooperation, this "dark trade" is likely to persist.

"In February 2026, Muhammad Rafiq reported that his cousin in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, had been kidnapped by an organ trafficking ring. He named an entire team of operatives, from abductors to medical personnel, who force individuals to have one of their kidneys removed and sold internationally. This case is the latest embodiment of a wider phenomenon in Pakistan surrounding the illicit organ trafficking industry, which continues to flourish despite the country's existing legislation intended to curb the practice," the report detailed.

"Primarily operating in Pakistan's Punjab region, brokers coercively obtain organs to sell in a variety of ways, but one method in particular appears to be the most prevalent. Targeted victims tend to include impoverished workers who are often in desperate need of a loan to cover immediate expenses, such as medical bills, weddings and dowries, or, in some cases, to repay previous loans," it added.

The report highlighted that debtors are subjected to highly dangerous surgeries in unlicensed locations and discharged without proper rehabilitation to minimise medical costs, while donors are then expected to resume work with little to no recovery time.

"There are even cases of these individuals requiring an organ transplant themselves to manage health issues incurred from the operation. They also tend to be paid less money than was negotiated - and sometimes are not paid at all. Although their kidneys are sold for tens of thousands of dollars, donors are only paid between $1,000 and $3,000 on average," the Diplomat report mentioned.

"In one case, Pakistani police discovered a 14-year-old child in an underground lab who had his kidney removed. The boy said there was an Arab man on the stretcher next to him when he woke up, illustrating the trend of typically wealthy foreigners, often from Gulf nations, coming to Pakistan to receive these illicit transplants," it further stated.

Highlighting the scale of the problem in Pakistan, the report noted that amid corruption and weak enforcement, the existing domestic laws are failing to function as an effective deterrent against the illegal practice.

"The prevalence of bribery, as well as a disregard for victims due to their refugee, minority, or socioeconomic status, has compounded efforts to bring perpetrators to justice," it added.

- IANS