Prostitution is regarded as taboo in Pakistan’s muslim-majority society but the practice exists everywhere like an open secret and it has existed for hundreds of years. Pakistan's oldest red light district - Heera Mandi or Shahi Mohalla - was for centuries a hub of traditional erotic dancers, musicians and prostitutes. They were patronised by the Mughals and the muslim aristocrats. During the Mughal era rule in the 15th and 16th centuries, the wealthy even sent their sons to the salons of tawaifs, high-class courtesans that have been likened to Japanese geishas, to study etiquette. With the arrival of the British, dance and sex became intertwined, and Heera Mandi began its long downward spiral. Although most people refer to General Ziaul Haq’s Islamicisation drive for cracking down on prostitution in the Heera Mandi it was actually General Ayub Khan who placed severe restrictions on their activities. The General Zia Regime brought the death nail for the mughal er...