Just within the last month, the Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority (PHOTA) recently caught in coordination with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) with six people involved in unlawful human organ transplants.
The suspects arrested are Muhammad Nadeem from the Kasur district of Pakistan, Tayyab Ali and Sharon from Lahore, Babar Masih, and two other doctors Tashbeeb Jalal and Abdullah.
This crackdown was following the provincial Health Minister, Khawaja Salman Rafique detected a gang of people involved in the sale of and transplantation of human organs in District Headquarters Hospital Hafizabad. The matter came to light when one patient namely Ayub of DHQ Hospital Hafizabad breathed his last. Investigations conducted by the police confirmed that there was an organized group that had conducted a kidney transplant on Ayub in a house in Peshawar.
This group is composed of Sharon Parvez, a dialysis technician; Bob Masih, the main agent, Irfan Aslam, a hormone lab employee; Dr. Tashbeeb Jalal and Abdullah. In the aftermath of the case investigation, proper cooperation ensured the apprehension of all the suspects related to case number 264/2024.
Provincial Health Minister of Punjab, Khawaja Salman Rafique called for the legal consequences of such calls involved in the unlawful trade of human organs by ensuring that, such a case does not repeat in the future.