Re: Khuda, Tasawwuf aur Tawaa’if
What does ‘Cat House’ mean?
here in Lahore: Hotels in Data Darbar area turn into Prostitution is flourishing under a network in the hotels around Data Darbar, which is tantamount to the desecration of this sacred shrine. The Data Darbar, mausoleum of 11th century saint Hazrat Data Ganj Baksh Ali Hajveri (RA), is a sacred place for millions living in the country and overseas.
Recently, there has been a mushroom growth of hotels in the vicinity to cater to the load of visitors and the devotees coming from far-off places. But now these hotels have become “seedy places” for the prostitutes and their customers.
The visitors to the Darbar come from all segments of society, who throng this place to pay homage to the Sufi Saint and pray for the fulfillment of their worldly and spiritual desires. Most of them stay in the hotels in the area (Data Darbar Market) for a day or two and then return home.
With hardly any other activity to turn to during their stay in the City, these people have become very sought-after “victims” for the hoteliers, who have started working in connivance with pimps to offer prostitutes in the hotel rooms.
As most of these hotels offer rooms at very cheap and affordable rates, the huge number of visitors, mostly from poor area, is attracted to them.
However, different rates are charged for rooms with this “additional’ facility”, depending on the variety of girls. The agents of these prostitutes roam about in the vicinity to lure in potential customers. Sometimes the pimps themselves do this job.
The “transaction” starts with a polite inquiry by the pimps and agents, and if the “victim” shows any interest, he is escorted to a nearby hotel, where the rest of the arrangements are made.
The “customer” tells these agents of his demands including age of the girl, her complexion and of course the rate, and the girl is made available. The girls are kept in separate rooms and the “victim” is directed to one of them according to the demand, after paying the agreed money in advance.
The secrecy and discretion of the whole “fishy business” is maintained at all costs. The officials of the law enforcement agencies in general and police in particular are regularly paid their share to keep the business hassle-free.
The officials of the area police, Chowki Data Darbar, are often seen eating in these hotels and patrolling the area at night, as if to guard the business. The business thrives in the days of annual Urs of Data Ganj Baksh (960th this year) because the load of devotees is huge during these three days and the hotels are jam packed.
The operators of this dirty business manage to conceal it from the public eye, as families also stay at these hotels, when they come to pay homage at the Darbar. According to rough estimate, thousands of visitors come to the Shrine daily and the number multiplies by several times on every Thursday. Some of these people are ready to spend Rs 200-300 for some cheap ‘entertainment. The charges soar as high as Rs 5000-7000 for ‘quality stuff’. The girls working in these hotels are mostly brought from the outskirts of Lahore.
One insider told The News that these girls were not necessarily professional prostitutes, but were the wayward girls or from the poor families, who fell victim to these pimps for one reason or the other.
Responding to a question, as to why this business was not being checked by the quarters concerned, he said the officials responsible for curbing this were themselves part of it and were paid regular bounty by the ‘operators’ for their cooperation.
He said the whole activity was in the knowledge of police high-ups, but they were least concerned about it as it meant dealing with a network that had links with several well-connected people.
One of the agents of these prostitutes, on condition of anonymity, said that this was merely a source of earning bread and butter for them and they were not really concerned about the moral aspect. “We do not bring anybody here by force. People come to us on their their own,” he said.
The residents and shopkeepers of the area are also aware of this business, but do not open their mouth for fear of police officials who back this ‘business.’
The SP City Dr Usman Anwar, when approached by The News, said that police authorities were aware of the business and to deal with it had conducted raids on certain hotels in the area and had challaned them. He said some persons had also been arrested, but due to the sensitivity of the area police had to operate with extreme care. “Sometimes, the women also carry children in their laps and raise hue and cry on their arrest,” he said. The arrest of these women also had some social and legal implications because most of them were ditched by their families as well after getting caught, he said. He said that a team of Inspector Legal and in charge Women Complaint Cell had been formed to provide legal help to such women. The concept of community policing, he said, was also being developed and liaison was being established with local notables and representatives of the local government to muster-up support for dealing with this menace.
All of the arrested women were not prostitutes and sometimes fell in the clutches of the agents or pimps for one reason or the other and were exploited, he said.
He said the hotel managements in the area had also been told in categorical terms to get the photocopy of the ID card of every guest staying in their hotels. This will help the police in conducting surprise raids and apprehend suspects, he said.
The SP said the police authorities had also approached Edhi Welfare Center for accommodation of the destitute women because sometimes they could not be sent to the Dar-ul-Amaan after the closing hours. The response of Edhi Center has been positive and an arrangement in this regard is likely to be reached, he hoped.
Giving his suggestions to curb the menace, a caretaker of the Darbar said the destitute women be rehabilitated like the destitute children. This could resolve social/legal implications and help these women.
](http://awaissaleem-lahore.blogspot.co.uk/2005/07/hotels-in-data-darbar-area-turn-into.html)