Prostitution began to make a comeback in Lahore in the 1970s, as the city became a popular destination for sex tourists from the West. A number of brothels and massage parlors opened up in the city, catering to the needs of the foreign tourists. The sex trade in Lahore received a boost in the 1980s, when the city became a major transit point for heroin smugglers from Afghanistan. A number of prostitutes started working in the city in order to make money from the drug dealers.
