Impoverished daily wage laborers in Pakistan are forced to sell their body organs to make ends meet. Several media reports point to a growing racket of kidney sellers across the country, especially in Punjab province. In the past few years, police have arrested several people who are involved in running this illegal business.
"In 2012, I was heavily indebted," Iqbal, a father of eight children, told DW. "I was living in a village near Lahore and working at a brick kiln factory. I had borrowed 135,000 Pakistani rupees (€1,603, $1,856) from the kiln owner. I was working round the clock to pay back the loan, but with my meagre salary, I could hardly make both ends meet, let alone repay the loan," Iqbal said. "I was so desperate that I was ready to do anything to get some money. At the time, my cousin Ashraf came up with an idea — he asked me to sell my kidney and repay the loan." Ashraf rolled up his shirt, showing me the operation marks after the removal of his kidney," Iqbal continued. "He told me I could easily live with one kidney and the operation is not very complicated," Iqbal said.
In Pakistan, the illegal business of organ "donation" is done secretively. Iqbal said the place where his kidney was removed was actually an eye hospital.
"But they had set up a modern facility for kidney surgeries in the basement of the eye hospital," Iqbal said.
Iqbal said he regrets selling his kidney. "The authorities must help us, write off our loans and force the factory owners to increase our wages so that brick kiln workers do not fall prey to kidney selling gangs."
"In 2012, I was heavily indebted," Iqbal, a father of eight children, told DW. "I was living in a village near Lahore and working at a brick kiln factory. I had borrowed 135,000 Pakistani rupees (€1,603, $1,856) from the kiln owner. I was working round the clock to pay back the loan, but with my meagre salary, I could hardly make both ends meet, let alone repay the loan," Iqbal said. "I was so desperate that I was ready to do anything to get some money. At the time, my cousin Ashraf came up with an idea — he asked me to sell my kidney and repay the loan." Ashraf rolled up his shirt, showing me the operation marks after the removal of his kidney," Iqbal continued. "He told me I could easily live with one kidney and the operation is not very complicated," Iqbal said.
In Pakistan, the illegal business of organ "donation" is done secretively. Iqbal said the place where his kidney was removed was actually an eye hospital.
"But they had set up a modern facility for kidney surgeries in the basement of the eye hospital," Iqbal said.
Iqbal said he regrets selling his kidney. "The authorities must help us, write off our loans and force the factory owners to increase our wages so that brick kiln workers do not fall prey to kidney selling gangs."
All workers sell their labour-power but some actually sell parts of their body.
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