Prostitution in Pakistan is a taboo culture of sex-trade that exists as an open secret but illegal. Prostitution is largely based in organisational setups like brothels or furthered by individual call girls.[1][2]
The sex trade is illegal in the country due to the declaration of extramarital sex as an immoral activity. Pakistani prostitutes, thus, operate underground and in spite of the legal difficulties, prostitution in Pakistan is prevalent.[3][4] In some areas of the country prostitution is strictly illegal and traditionally punishable by death, especially in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan regions.[5][6]
Most analysts recognize poverty as a crucial factor in driving women towards an occupation such as prostitution.[7][8] Both female and male prostitution have grown in operational yield in Pakistan over the years. With this increase in professional sex-trade in the country, non-governmental organisations are beginning to worry about issues like discrimination and AIDS.[9] A 2017 UNAIDS report estimates that there are around 229,441 prostitutes in the country.[10] In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, the graduate unemployment rate is elevated, indicating an oversupply of graduates in the face of labor markets that struggle to accommodate new graduates.[11]
Prostitution in Pakistan is a taboo that exists like an open secret considered as immoral. Many prostitutes operate underground in the country.