Poverty is the main cause behind prostitution which is committed for the sake of a few bucks
By Chronicler
Rawalpindi
One of the oldest professions of humankind, the prostitution has changed its dimensions under some disguises in the modern era but there are places in Rawalpindi where still it’s going on in the old fashion.
There are a few women who present themselves to the clients at specific points at Murree Road to earn some bucks during early or late evening every day.
Faizabad Station of the Metro Bus which is also connected with Faizabad Bus Terminal is as such a place where some women commit prostitution for the sake of money.
These women after years of experience can trace out their clients after exchange of glances with the passerby men while roaming around the footpath.
They generally wear a proper dress consisting of abaya which covers them fully and protects their identity. Only their eyes are open, otherwise they are fully covered from head to toe.
The potential clients after meaningful exchange of eyes stand idly around them waiting for the response.
In most of the cases these sex workers after judging the potential client afterwards make face to face contact and offer their ‘services.’ They purely rely on their sixth sense in doing so and most of the time they judge it rightly.
‘Business’ means everything to them and they don’t want to talk about anything else, obviously for the sake of protecting their identity.
There are around a dozen or little bit more of these women who work on the same spot and majority of them are 30 years of age or more.
They are of different ethnicity and races but one thing is common amongst them and that is poverty. They are also little educated which is another thing which is common in them.
Doing ‘business’ is their sole priority which overcomes every other matter which concerns them in any way.
This scribe talked to a few of them to know the environment which led them to live a life which is unwanted in the society.
When one of them was approached by this scribe and introduced himself, she declined to talk.
“I am having cramps in my abdomen and I will have to get medicine for it,” she responded.
This was the same lady who a few minutes ago was having a conversation with a young man while having a short walk on the footpath. However, seemingly the ‘deal’ could not mature so it had ended in a short span of time.
After talking with this scribe she left the place and gave signals to other fellow women and all of them gathered at a place to have a short meeting.
Two of them again approached the scribe and they started chatting over the topic on the hand.
“No one would talk with you. Why do you want to talk to us? Our lives are already miserable and we don’t want to add fuel to fire,” she stated.
However, after being convinced that no harm would be done to them, one of them stated that due to poverty she adopted this profession for earning livelihood. She was 35 years old and she also had covered her face with the shawl completely and only her eyes were uncovered. Apparently she was dressed like it to cover up her identity. As per her account which she herself narrated she has spent over six years in this profession.
Generally she and other fellow women visit this place during the afternoon and leave it before late evening. These women also have connections in some hotels which are situated nearby and they provide a place if a client doesn’t have a place of his own.
Besides old fellows who have spent years in the profession in the same place, new arrivals also make their way to it due to the same reasons and older ones coach them to survive in the field.
Sometimes the local police also make raids on these hotels to show efficiency but later on the business remains intact which is beneficial for all stakeholders.
During this conversation another young man, who was standing nearby, made an attempt to get closer to her to listen to what was going on.
This is a normal practice over here as generally some people who are neither potential clients nor passerby but they are over there to witness ‘happening’ for the sake of their own satisfaction.
The attention of the young man wasn’t very welcoming for the women. After being annoyed over his unwanted attention she said: “Don’t be so attentive and get away from here as a deal is under way for your sister.” The boy got lost after hearing these words but he was very reluctant in doing so as though he had missed a chance of his choice.
A few kilometres away from Faizabad, there is another point near Marir Hassan, Murree Road where this business is done somewhat very openly by different women.
Close to the office of a leading newspaper near Marir Hassan, during the evening dozens of women belonging to a gipsy tribe start doing ‘business’ openly.
They make comments on almost every passerby and invite their attention. Contrary to the women of Faizabad Bus Terminal, these women aren’t shy at all. They are in the habit of making vulgar comments on passersby, mostly the young lads. If they feel that someone has been trapped then they take him to some darker corner and ask him to make a selection of his choice in the herd. In this way they extract as much money as possible and ask him to leave the scene immediately. Older women help out the younger women in this process.
The modus operandi may change if the ‘party’ seems strong financially which is enough reason for them to strike a deal.
Apart from these women there is another breed which also grace the footpaths of Murree Road for the same reasons.
During evenings a lot of transgender come out of their shelters and start luring people. Mostly they operate between Committee Chowk and Marir Hassan during the same hours. The older lot of them beg on the streets throughout the day on roundabouts and younger ones make their presence felt in the evening.
Ends
