Prostitution Prostitution laws in Pakistanپاکستان
Under section 496B of the Pakistan Penal Code, a man and a woman not married to each other who wilfully have sexual intercourse commit fornication, punishable by up to five years' imprisonment and a fine of up to 10,000 rupees. This general offence applies to both seller and buyer. The 1961 Suppression of Prostitution Ordinance, in force in the provinces, punishes keeping or financing a brothel, letting premises for one, soliciting in or within sight of a public place, living on or exploiting another person's prostitution, and procuring a woman for prostitution with or without her consent. Selling or buying a person for prostitution carries up to 25 years (sections 371A and 371B). The telecoms regulator can block online content on grounds of "decency or morality".
Legal model
Selling and buying prohibited. Selling sex is an offence (criminal or administrative), whether or not buying is.
Pakistan has no offence of selling sex as such. The general offence of fornication (section 496B of the Penal Code, inserted in 2006) covers any wilful intercourse between a man and a woman not married to each other, so both parties to a paid encounter commit it. The Offence of Zina (Enforcement of Hudood) Ordinance 1979 also remains in force. Brothels, soliciting, living on earnings and procuring are separate offences under the provincial Suppression of Prostitution Ordinance 1961.[1][2]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | Selling sex is caught by the general fornication offence (up to five years' imprisonment and a fine of up to 10,000 rupees). Soliciting in or within sight of a street or public place is separately punishable under the 1961 Ordinance by up to six months or a fine of up to 200 rupees for a first offence.[1][2] |
| Buying sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | There is no buyer-specific offence, but the client commits fornication under section 496B like the seller. Buying, hiring or otherwise obtaining possession of a person so that she will be used for prostitution carries up to 25 years' imprisonment (section 371B).[1] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | Keeping, managing, financing or helping to manage a brothel, knowingly letting premises be used as one, or letting property knowing it will be a brothel, is punishable by up to two years' imprisonment and a fine of up to 1,000 rupees. A brothel is any place where a sex worker lives or works, so a single woman's own home qualifies.[2] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Any person over 18 who knowingly lives on another's earnings from prostitution, or exploits another's prostitution even with consent, faces up to two years and a fine. Procuring or enticing a woman for prostitution, with or without consent, carries up to three years. Selling or hiring out a person for prostitution carries up to 25 years.[1][2] |
| Advertising sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | No offence targets advertising as such. Soliciting by words, gestures or "otherwise" in or within sight of a public place is an offence under the 1961 Ordinance, and offering sex for payment is offering a criminal act. The telecoms regulator can block content "in the interest of ... decency or morality" (PECA section 37) and order platforms to remove obscene content (section 2R, added in 2025).[1][2][3] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Selling sex is caught by the general fornication offence (up to five years' imprisonment and a fine of up to 10,000 rupees). Soliciting in or within sight of a street or public place is separately punishable under the 1961 Ordinance by up to six months or a fine of up to 200 rupees for a first offence.[1][2]
Section 496B(1): "A man, and woman not married to each other are said to commit fornication if they willfully have sexual intercourse with one another." It was inserted by Act VI of 2006 (the Protection of Women (Criminal Laws Amendment) Act), which took the offence of zina liable to ta'zir out of the 1979 Zina Ordinance and replaced it with this Penal Code offence. The 1961 Ordinance defines prostitution as "promiscuous sexual intercourse for hire, whether in money or kind" and a prostitute as "any female available or known to be available" for it.
Confidence: medium. The Penal Code was read on the official Pakistan Code portal. The 1961 Ordinance was read from a reproduction of the Punjab version (Nasir Law Associates) because the official provincial portals (punjablaws.gov.pk, kpcode.kp.gov.pk) did not respond. Penalties may differ slightly between provincial versions.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
There is no buyer-specific offence, but the client commits fornication under section 496B like the seller. Buying, hiring or otherwise obtaining possession of a person so that she will be used for prostitution carries up to 25 years' imprisonment (section 371B).[1]
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Keeping, managing, financing or helping to manage a brothel, knowingly letting premises be used as one, or letting property knowing it will be a brothel, is punishable by up to two years' imprisonment and a fine of up to 1,000 rupees. A brothel is any place where a sex worker lives or works, so a single woman's own home qualifies.[2]
Section 2(a) (as substituted in 1968): a brothel "means any house, part of a house, room or place in which a prostitute resides or carries on prostitution or any place or institution where facilities are known to be available for prostitution". Tenants and occupiers are presumed to have knowingly permitted the use (section 3(2)). Keepers of places of public amusement or entertainment who knowingly let sex workers ply their trade there are fined (section 5).
Confidence: medium. Read from an unofficial reproduction of the Punjab text; the official portals could not be opened.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Any person over 18 who knowingly lives on another's earnings from prostitution, or exploits another's prostitution even with consent, faces up to two years and a fine. Procuring or enticing a woman for prostitution, with or without consent, carries up to three years. Selling or hiring out a person for prostitution carries up to 25 years.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. Penal Code provisions were checked on the official portal; the Ordinance provisions only on an unofficial reproduction.
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
No offence targets advertising as such. Soliciting by words, gestures or "otherwise" in or within sight of a public place is an offence under the 1961 Ordinance, and offering sex for payment is offering a criminal act. The telecoms regulator can block content "in the interest of ... decency or morality" (PECA section 37) and order platforms to remove obscene content (section 2R, added in 2025).[1][2][3]
Confidence: medium. PECA gives the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority blocking and removal powers over content, not a criminal offence of advertising sexual services. The liability of websites that host such ads was not established from a court decision.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| The Pakistan Penal Code (XLV of 1860) Pakistan Penal Code (Act XLV of 1860, as amended) s. 292 · s. 371A · s. 371B · s. 496A · s. 496B | Fornication offence (s. 496B, from 2006), selling and buying persons for prostitution (ss. 371A, 371B), enticing a woman for illicit intercourse (s. 496A), obscenity (s. 292).[1] | |
| The [Punjab] Suppression of Prostitution Ordinance, 1961 (W.P. Ordinance II of 1961) Suppression of Prostitution Ordinance 1961 (W.P. Ordinance II of 1961, Punjab version) s. 2 · s. 3 · s. 4 · s. 6 · s. 8 | Provincial law on brothels, soliciting, living on earnings, procuring and keeping women in brothels.[2] | |
| The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (XL of 2016) Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (as amended in 2025) s. 2R · s. 37 | Powers of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to block or remove online content on decency and morality grounds and to direct social media platforms.[3] | 19 August 2016 |
Timeline
- 7 January 1961The West Pakistan Suppression of Prostitution Ordinance 1961 is published, consolidating the provincial laws on brothels, soliciting and procuring.[2]
- 2006Act VI of 2006 (the Protection of Women (Criminal Laws Amendment) Act) inserts the fornication offence (section 496B) and the enticing offence (section 496A) into the Penal Code.[1]
- 2025The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025 adds a regime for social media platforms, including removal orders for obscene or pornographic content (section 2R).[3]
Sources
- The Pakistan Penal Code (XLV of 1860). The Pakistan Code, Ministry of Law and Justice. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- The [Punjab] Suppression of Prostitution Ordinance, 1961 (W.P. Ordinance II of 1961). Nasir Law Associates (reproduction of the Punjab text), 7 January 1961. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (XL of 2016). The Pakistan Code, Ministry of Law and Justice. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026