ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights on Friday suggested the punishment for illegal sale purchase of human organs be increased and a ban be imposed on issuing visas to foreigners coming for medical treatment.

Chairman of the committee Babar Nawaz Khan said if he could not address the issue in three months, he will no longer head the committee.

During the meeting, a pathologist at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transmission (SIUT) Dr Mirza Naqi Zafar gave a presentation to the committee and said trade in human organs has been continuously increasing across the country.

“People from various countries come to Pakistan for organ transplants. They pay Rs4million to Rs10 million for an organ, including kidneys and livers, but the person who sells his organs is only paid a nominal amount,” he said.

“The business is common mostly in Punjab where there are some villages in which half its residents have sold their kidneys. We have written to various organisations of Punjab, telling them that people have sold their kidneys and are now selling their livers but so far, no action has been taken,” he added.

Chairman of HR committee vows to leave if not able to address organ trade issue in three months

Dr Zafar said some people have even been taken to China and other countries to have sections of their livers taken out for transplants but they died because the procedure is very complicated. He said authorities are yet to take action on this or against the doctors and hospitals involved in the procedures carried out in the country. There is no control over the Human Organs Transplant Authority (HOTA), he said.

“If it is not possible to take action against illegal organ transplants, the government should repeal the law so that we can tell the world that we cannot take action against it because of absence of laws [against it],” he said.

Participants were shown a letter from the SUIT Director Dr Adibul Hasan Rizvi, who is also a member of the Istanbul Custodian Group.

According to the letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn, Pakistan is signatory to the Declaration of Istanbul (DOL) for protecting the poor and vulnerable from transplant tourism and to address the wider problem of international trafficking of human organs and tissue.

“Cases have been reported from the members of DOL belonging to Canada, Austra lia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait etc. The allegations are that illegal kidney transplants are carried out in several cities of Punjab including Rawalpindi and Lahore. Further the medical condition of the recipients of the transplanted kidney is life threatening when they reach their home country,” Dr Rizvi said in his letter.

“The Email from Kuwait reported that during 2016 they have received 11 cases of illegal transplants performed in Pakistan. We request the members of standing committee to question the police and other administrative departments at highest level to remedy the present unacceptable situation,” letter says.

A member of the committee, Zahra Wadood Fatemi said the Human Rights (HR) Committee should be empowered to check on the issue and take action.

“If we try to visit a hospital, we are told that members are not authorised to do so,” she said.

National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR) Chairman Justice Ali Nawaz Chohan said members of the HR committee should be given the authority of Justice of Peace so they can register FIRs. He suggested MNA’s be made in-charge of looking over human rights violations in their constituencies.

“People advertise that they want to [sell] a kidney and in the past, a well known hospital in the federal capital displayed [such advertisements] on a board,” he said.

MNA Kishwar Zehra said efforts were being made for amending the law and to allow trade in human organs under special circumstances. The current law awards punishments of 10 years in jail and a fine of Rs1 million.

Representatives from the Punjab police said it is not correct that the police do not take action as people are arrested but they manage to secure bails.

Committee chairman Babar Nawaz Khan said the prime minister has given special instructions for empowering members of the HR committee to address such issues.

“I will leave if I am not able to address these issues within the coming three months. In one month, a law should be made to seal the hospitals involved in illegal transplants and the owners fined at least Rs70 million. Visas for medical treatment in Pakistan should be banned and all Pakistani embassies should be told that ambassadors and staff will be held accountable in case such a visa is issued,” he said.

Mr Khan added that special judges should be appointed to look into human rights issues and that HOTA should be investigated as complaints have emerged that it issues NOCs for organ transplant when paid Rs100,000.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2016