Senior actress Nadia Jamil has said that while many people in Pakistan openly speak against “lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender individuals (LGBTQ),” no one talks about the widespread issue of child sexual exploitation in the country.
A video of Nadia Jamil addressing a group of young girls has gone viral on social media, in which she discusses some of the harsh realities of society.
She stated that some time ago, a journalist—using a hidden camera—uncovered nine child prostitution dens in Lahore and other cities, where children aged 7 to 16 were being exploited.
According to her, the journalist secretly recorded footage of these dens, and seeing such young children involved left her deeply shaken.
The actress added that in our society, the exploitation of young boys continues in schools, homes, educational institutions, and various other places, yet no one is willing to speak about it.
Nadia Jamil said that the problem is especially rampant at truck stops, where young boys are frequently subjected to abuse, but no one raises their voice.
She further stated that from coal mines to other workplaces, the sexual exploitation of underage boys continues unchecked, and society remains silent.
She added that when you ask a child who has been abused what he wants to become when he grows up, he often says he wants to become a truck driver, because in that environment, a driver needs only one boy, while in coal mines and factories, many men are present, and boys are passed from one to another.
While speaking about this issue, Nadia Jamil became emotional and said that society has normalized such exploitation, dismissing it as something that “cannot be changed.”
She questioned: “If we claim we cannot do anything about child exploitation, then why do we take a stand on other issues?”
