Pakistan

Pakistan has no morals when it comes to extorting money from the gay community. The law is just a vehicle to procure a bribe from a victim that officers have often 'picked up' via the promise of a date on either social media or targeted gay apps. Although the government officially bans popular gay dating apps to preserve 'public decency', local police officers use those same apps to trap gay men into the hell of possible 'outing' to the wider community. This is the most serious threat to a gay man who has been targeted in this way as being outed by authorities means total societal exclusion. Loss of job, family and friends. It is by using this threat that victims are coerced into handing over as much cash as the officers believe they have access to. Of course, there is also the legal threat of being caught in the act of meeting for a gay date.

"Despite these laws, prosecutions are rare, but police sometimes use punitive laws to extort bribes or sexual favours from men who have sex with men (MSM) and trans women. There are no known cases of the government applying Sharia to punish same-sex acts, and there were no known cases of executions for same-sex conduct."
UK | Home Office Report

The Legal Stakes

Under Section 377 of the colonial era Penal Code, consensual same-sex intimacy carries penalties ranging from two years to life imprisonment. The police use their sense of personal 'morality' to explicitly exploit the notorious and violent reputation of the general prison system as a psychological hammer to guarantee compliance and squeeze out the maximum possible bribe from their gay victim.

Your Phone Is A Trap

Officers also use nefarious means to gain the evidence to arrest the 'offender' in the first place. They don't just use technology to track the victim's smartphone before the eventual date entrapment, but once the victim has been physically detained, they can confiscate the victim's phone and take the evidence needed for a prosecution. The victim then has no option but to pay whatever bribe is asked.

"Project ADAL reported that some gangs sought out vulnerable gay men through dating apps and subjected them to torture, rape and extortion"
UK | Home Office Report

Actual Prosecutions

It is very rare for state prosecutors to take these cases to a formal courtroom because actual convictions require real evidence and there is a big difference between a 'staged offense' and the actual 'crime' of Consensual Same-sex Intimacy. However, the threat is enough to extort a bribe and the very real threat of social 'outing' seals the deal. For travelers and local gay men alike, using apps to chat and arrange meets with other gay men is a high risk adventure.

Cruising

The police and other criminal 'vigilantes' don't even need a smartphone for this trap. They are well aware of the cruising spots - they have been around since the beginning of time. Here, they 'patrol' to catch gay men in the act. The modus operandi is identical to the app scams. The threat is an arrest and formal charge twinned with the immediate threat of public exposure. That leverage is then used to drain the victim's wallet on the spot. It might be low-tech, but it's an extremely effective extortion racket for these so very moral police officers.

Practically Married

In Pakistan, an unmarried straight couple living together is unthinkable - a societal nervous breakdown! But two gay men? Well, nobody knows they're gay, right? Because of the constant movement of single guys moving to major cities like Islamabad or Karachi for work or university life, the concept of "bachelor roommates" living together and sharing expenses is normalized and entirely accepted and provides the textbook definition of hiding-in-plain-sight. But being very careful is the only way to stay safe from being ratted out by nosey neighbors. Any public display of affection has to be avoided. No waving goodbye in the morning, no extended looks back. Pretty much any sign of togetherness can only take place behind closed doors and blinded windows. Apart from that, you have your love, your partner and your happiness in one of the cruelest and homophobic countries on earth.

"Being gay in Pakistan means living in silence, fear, and constant danger. It means hiding every part of yourself, watching every word, and pretending to be someone you’re not just to survive. It means knowing that the people and the government meant to protect you could instead destroy your life for simply loving someone of the same gender."
Human Dignity Trust

Pakistan's healthcare system is a mixed bag. In major cities, gay men can access diagnostic testing via specific private channels. In rural areas, access is Limited. Confidentiality is a risk, and patients should avoid disclosing their orientation to state doctors due to institutional prejudice and unreliable data security.

GWN Medical | May 2026