Head of renown NGO ‘Hope’ arrested for alleged child trafficking

KARACHI: Dr. Mubeena Qasim, the Head of the renowned humanitarian group Hope, has been detained by Pakistani authorities as part of a child trafficking operation.

The humanitarian was hailed for her philanthropic activities among vulnerable children in Pakistan, but is now in the middle of a shady scandal after she was accused of trafficking at least two dozen children overseas through false adoption papers.

FIA conducted an operation in collaboration with the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle after an official complaint from the US Consulate, which had raised the alarm regarding suspicious adoptions involving minors who were supposed to be smuggled to America.

It was a trafficking ring operating behind the veil of charity. Investigators say children were smuggled abroad illegally under fake paperwork, with Dr. Qasim being central to it.

The case turned dramatic after the accused’s pre-arrest bail application was rejected by the court, prompting FIA officials to take swift action and move in to arrest her. Officials are convinced this is the tip of the iceberg and are now widening the investigation to identify other suspected collaborators.

The arrest shocked the NGO and donor community and raised questions about the penetration of trafficking rings into charitable organisations.

Authorities also vowed zero tolerance, stating that individuals who use welfare as a front to run criminal operations will face justice.