EDITORIAL: The revelations emerging from the Supreme Court regarding illegal organ transplantation in Punjab expose a dark and deeply disturbing reality. The exploitation of poor and vulnerable individuals for the commercial harvesting of human organs is not merely a criminal act; it is a grave violation of human dignity and medical ethics.
The fact that such activities have reportedly continued for years despite existing laws and regulatory mechanisms raises serious questions about the effectiveness of oversight institutions and the accountability of those entrusted with safeguarding public welfare.
The case of Dr Fawad Mumtaz, an assistant professor of plastic surgery at the government-run General Hospital in Lahore, illustrates the alarming extent of the problem. Despite facing multiple cases involving illegal kidney transplants and being dismissed from government service in 2022 on that account, he allegedly continued to perform transplant surgeries and was subsequently arrested during a police raid in Taxila. This sequence of events points not only to individual wrongdoing but also to systemic weaknesses that allowed an unscrupulous medical practitioner to remain active in a highly sensitive field. Such lapses reinforce the perception that influential offenders can evade meaningful consequences.
The observations made by the Supreme Court bench during Wednesday’s hearing are particularly significant in this regard. Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar’s remark that “the control of the relevant authority in Punjab is negligible” highlights a glaring regulatory failure. The result is an underground market in which wealthy patients can procure kidneys with relative ease while poverty and desperation are cynically exploited for profit. This thriving black market survives because of a network of facilitators, middlemen, medical professionals and complicit officials who either actively participate in or deliberately ignore these crimes.
Justice Salahuddin Panhwar’s concern over the alleged involvement of doctors, hospital staff and government institutions further underscores the depth of the challenge. Organ trafficking cannot flourish without organised collaboration. Consequently, focusing solely on individual perpetrators will not suffice. The authorities must dismantle the entire chain of illegal activity—from recruiters who prey on impoverished donors to medical personnel who perform unauthorised procedures, and officials who fail to enforce the law.
The Punjab government deserves credit for challenging the Lahore High Court’s acquittal order before the Supreme Court rather than allowing the matter to fade into obscurity. Its appeal reflects a welcome commitment to accountability in matters involving public health and ethical considerations. However, lasting reform will require much more than legal proceedings. Regulatory bodies must strengthen monitoring mechanisms, conduct regular audits of transplant centres, and establish transparent systems for tracking organ donations and transplant surgeries. Equally important is the need for stringent penalties against all those found guilty of participating in organ trafficking.
The Supreme Court’s intervention should serve as a catalyst for meaningful reform. Unless decisive and coordinated action is taken, the poor and vulnerable will continue to be exploited while criminal networks profit from human suffering.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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