A meeting by the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights discussed the situation of children abuse. Shockingly high figures were revealed by the SSDO, which showed 227 percent rise in child abuse over the last 5 years with Punjab leading with the highest number of crimes and the lowest conviction rate. In most crimes the conviction rate across Pakistan was shown as zero percent. The Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights (PCCR) held a meeting at the Parliament House on Wednesday, to address the alarming rise in child abuse cases across Pakistan. The session focused on reviewing trends in child violence, abuse, and exploitation and examined the current conviction rates in these cases. The meeting was held under the leadership of Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan, Convenor of the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights (PCCR) and Parliamentary Secretary for Science and Technology.

Dr. Nikhat highlighted the urgent need for enhanced prevention and justice mechanisms, she called for identifying legal and institutional gaps and encouraged active parliamentary engagement to develop effective policy recommendations.

Child abuse statistics

During the meeting, the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO), represented by its Executive Director Syed Kausar Abbas, delivered a comprehensive presentation detailing the prevalence of child abuse, child labour, early marriages, trafficking, and other forms of exploitation. The report also provided conviction statistics obtained under the Right to Information Act from law enforcement agencies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Islamabad.

According to details given by SSDO, between 2019 to 2023, there were at least

5,398 reported cases of child sexual abuse 220 per cent surge in just five years, which was alarming

The SSDO findings showed that in 2024 alone, Punjab recorded the highest number of cases (6,083) followed by Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (1102), Sindh (354), Islamabad (138), and Balochistan (69). Sexual abuse cases were the most that were reported (3002), followed by a large number of kidnapping cases (2505), child labour (895), physical abuse (697), child trafficiking (588) and child marriage (59). These were the cases that took place during 2024 however these were the ones reported and were just the tip of the ice berg. Many of the cases also go unreported.

In 2025, Punjab reported 4150 in just the first six months (January to June), more than half of what was the total number in 2024.

A total of 875 cases of Violence Against Children (VAC) were reported in Sindh, Balochistan & Punjab in 2025 from January to June: SSDO More startling was the extremely low number of conviction rate for each crime against children.

For sexual abuse cases the conviction rate was 0.7 percent, child trafficking 4.7 percent, child labour 4 percent. Physical abuse, kidnapping, child marriage child beggary, child pornography and murder and homicide all had zero percent conviction rate.

Province wise the picture was a little different. Punjab had a conviction rate of 0.2 percent, the lowest, Sindh with 3.1 percent and the highest was in Balochistan with 18 percent.

Recommendations

SSDO recommended for

Specialized Investigation Units – Establish trained investigation and forensic units to strengthen evidence collection and reduce case withdrawals. Fast-Track Child & Women Protection Courts – Set up courts with a 120-day resolution target and trained judges to prevent delays and improve conviction outcomes. Victim & Witness Protection Laws – Provide shelters, counselling, legal aid, and security so survivors can pursue cases without intimidation or withdrawal. Modernized Legal Frameworks -Expand definitions of abuse (psychological, digital, economic) and enforce child-sensitive medico-legal and chain-of-custody procedures for stronger prosecution. Other constructive proposals were made to strengthen child protection efforts. Parliamentary Secretary Zeb Jaffar advocated for workshops in Islamabad schools to educate children and parents on physical safety through storytelling focused on “good touch, bad touch.”

Dr. Shahida Rehmani urged for the integration of harassment awareness into school curricula, while MNA Syeda Shehla Raza highlighted the effectiveness of visual aids such as films in sensitizing parents, children, and teachers. Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar shared findings from her constituency emphasizing the risks of leaving children unsupervised with relatives or domestic staff.

Dr. Amjad Ali stressed the importance of safe and regulated environments in schools and madrassas, whereas Syed Qasim Ali Gillani called for expedited conviction processes to protect victims from undue pressure. MNAs Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Farah Naz Akbar, and Sofia Saeed Shah underscored the need for comprehensive training and counselling of educators and staff to empower children in recognizing abuse. Parliamentary Secretary Aasia Ishaque Siddiqui proposed the inclusion of anti-harassment features on mobile phones and gaming consoles, seeking collaboration with the Ministry of IT. Barrister Danyal Chaudhary highlighted the necessity of reinforcing institutional frameworks to rescue children forced into beggary by exploitative relatives.

Concluding the session, Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan expressed her heartfelt appreciation to all members for their unwavering commitment to child rights and thanked SSDO for their valuable contributions. The meeting ended with a group photo to commemorate this significant step toward safeguarding Pakistan’s children.

The meeting was attended by prominent members of the PCCR, including Dr. Shahida Rehmani, Secretary of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus; Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, President of the Young Parliamentarians Forum; Ms. Shaista Pervaiz, Convenor of the Parliamentary Taskforce on SDGs; Mr. Pullain Baloch, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting; Parliamentary Secretaries Ms. Farah Naz Akbar, Ms. Rana Ansar, Ms. Aasia Ishaque Siddiqui, Ms. Zeb Jaffar, Ms. Kiran Imran Dar, Barrister Danyal Chaudhary; and MNAs Syeda Shehla Raza, Ms. Nuzhat Sadiq, Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Syed Ali Qasim Gillani, Ms. Asia Naz Tanoli, and Mr. Amjad Ali, along with Former Parliamentarians Ms. Surriya Asghar and Ms. Asiya Nasir.

Published in: Voicpk.net