Pakistan Black Market: $315 Million


Pakistan lost $156 million in content piracy in 2007

The IIPA reports that Pakistan lost $156 million to book, music, movie, and business software piracy in 2007. 
 
Source: Romail Kenneth, “http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\04\26\story_26-4-2008_pg5_11#mce_temp_url#,” Daily Times, April 26, 2008.

Top 5 locations for organ trafficking

The World Health Organization and Reuters produced a factsheet stating the top five locations where organ trafficking is prevalent.[2] The countries are as follows:
1. China
2. Pakistan
3. Egypt
4. Colombia
5. Philippines
Source: Reuters, “FACTBOX: Five Organ Trafficking hotspots,” Reuters.com, August 6, 2007.

Pakistan loses $220 million in tax revenue

Pakistan loses $220 Million in tax revenue to counterfeit cigarettes.
Source: “Fake cigarettes incurring Rs.13.5 billion tax loss to govt annually,” PakTribune, December 9, 2006, (accessed: December 14, 2006).

News traded on black market in Pakistan

As President Pervez Musharraf continues his “emergency rule” in Pakistan, activity in the black market has increased.  With television stations being blacked out and news organization censored, the ability of the black market to evade government control has show its usefulness.
From the AFP:
“News is a contraband item in Pakistan now and it is being sold [...]