The Supreme Court expressed serious concern on Wednesday regarding the increasing incidents of illegal organ harvesting and transplantation throughout the country. This issue came under scrutiny during the hearing of an appeal filed by a doctor convicted of fraudulently removing a man’s kidney after allegedly enticing him with a job offer.
A three-member bench led by Justice Hashim Kakar reviewed the acquittal plea submitted by Dr. Fawad Mumtaz Khan from Taxila, who was sentenced to seven years in prison by a trial court. The conviction was subsequently upheld by the high court.
Officials from the Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority appeared before the court as the bench questioned the effectiveness of oversight mechanisms in Punjab. Justice Kakar remarked that illegal organ removal and transplantation cases were on the rise, highlighting a near absence of regulatory control in the province.
He noted that kidneys could be procured in Punjab for amounts ranging between Rs1.8 million and Rs2 million, often exploiting impoverished individuals. A provincial government lawyer informed the court that organ donors typically received only Rs200,000 to Rs400,000, with intermediaries and agents retaining the majority of the money.
Justice Kakar contrasted this with the situation in Balochistan, observing that residents of Quetta were generally unwilling to sell kidneys regardless of the financial incentive. Justice Salahuddin Panhwar questioned why people in Punjab appeared more willing to part with vital organs, pointing to economic hardships as a driving factor behind organ sales.
The case under review originated from an incident in Taxila, where Dr. Khan, a skin specialist, allegedly rendered a man unconscious and removed his kidney without consent after luring him with a job offer. The doctor’s defense counsel dismissed the allegations as containing more accusations than facts.
However, the Punjab government’s lawyer revealed that Dr. Khan faced ten additional cases of a similar nature. Justice Kakar described the issue as “serious and complex,” emphasizing the need for thorough judicial examination amid rising reports of illegal organ removals.
Justice Panhwar added that doctors, hospitals, and government institutions were frequently implicated in such cases, raising concerns about systemic failures in regulating organ transplantation.
The bench directed the relevant authorities to submit the complete case record and instructed all parties to come fully prepared for the next hearing. Justice Kakar stated, “We will hear this case in detail and decide it on the next date.” The Supreme Court adjourned the proceedings until June 11.
Dr. Khan’s seven-year prison sentence was initially handed down by a trial court and later confirmed by the high court, prompting his appeal to the Supreme Court seeking acquittal.
