The head of a Karachi-based non-governmental organization has been arrested on charges of child smuggling following a tip-off from the United States Consulate in Karachi.
Mubina Qasim Agboatwala, who leads the NGO Hope, was taken into custody by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) after a court denied her pre-arrest bail. She is accused of illegally sending at least 23 children from Pakistan to the United States.
The FIA’s anti-human trafficking unit launched an investigation after the US Consulate raised concerns about suspicious adoptions involving Pakistani children. Authorities found that these children were sent overseas without following the proper legal procedures, and many of the children’s parents were either unaware of or misled about the adoptions.
Investigators revealed that the NGO operated without a valid license from the Sindh Social Welfare Department. It reportedly used forged documents to falsely declare children as abandoned or orphaned, allowing them to be placed with foreign families without legal approval.
Child rights activists have condemned the case, pointing to significant gaps in Pakistan’s child protection system. They are calling on the government to strengthen oversight of organizations involved in child welfare and adoption to prevent future abuses.
