Pakistan's Children Are Crying For Protection
How Many More Victims Before We Act?
And then, for a few days, we see the photographs, the headlines, the social media posts and the public outrage.
People demand justice.
Hashtags trend.
Politicians make statements.
Authorities promise action.
And then, slowly, the country moves on.
But the victim’s family does not move on.
The child who survived does not simply forget.
And the next victim is already waiting somewhere in silence.
We See the Victims. We See the Headlines. But Where Is the System?
Pakistan has repeatedly witnessed heartbreaking cases involving children and women who have been sexually abused, raped, harassed and, in some cases, brutally murdered.
The most painful part is not only that these crimes happen.
It is that they continue to happen despite laws, institutions, police departments and repeated promises of justice.
According to Sahil's Cruel Numbers 2024 report, 3,364 cases involving violence and abuse against children were reported across Pakistan during 2024. These reported cases included child sexual abuse, abduction, missing children and child marriages—an average of approximately nine children every day. The data also showed that girls represented 53% of the reported victims, while boys represented 47%.
Among the reported crimes were 539 rape cases, 566 sodomy cases, 75 gang rape cases and 56 cases involving murder after sexual abuse. These are not merely numbers.
Every number represents a child.
A childhood.
A family.
A life that may never be the same again.
And perhaps the most frightening reality is that reported cases may represent only part of the problem. Fear, social stigma, pressure from families, lack of trust in institutions and concerns about reputation can prevent survivors and families from reporting sexual violence.
So when we ask, "How many cases are happening?", perhaps we should also ask:
How many victims are suffering in silence?
A Child Should Never Have to Learn How to Protect Themselves From Adults
Children should worry about school.
They should worry about exams.
They should play outside.
They should laugh loudly.
They should feel safe in their homes, schools, streets and communities.
Instead, many parents today feel that they must constantly teach their children:
"Don't talk to strangers."
"Don't go anywhere alone."
"Don't trust anyone too easily."
But the uncomfortable truth is that danger does not always come from strangers!
Reports on child abuse in Pakistan have repeatedly highlighted that perpetrators can be people known to the child or family.
This makes the issue even more painful.
Because how can a child understand danger when the person causing harm may be someone they were taught to respect?
A relative.
A neighbour.
A teacher.
A family acquaintance.
Someone trusted.
This is why protecting children cannot simply mean telling them to "be careful."
The responsibility should never fall entirely on children to protect themselves from predators.
The responsibility belongs to families, communities, institutions and, most importantly, the state.
"Daughters are a blessing" — But Why Are Parents Afraid?
:ہم ہمیشہ سے سنتے آئے ہیں کہ
"بیٹیاں تو رحمت ہوتی ہیں۔"
لیکن آج پاکستان کی صورتحال دیکھ کر ایک بہت تلخ سوال دل میں پیدا ہوتا ہے۔
اگر بیٹیاں واقعی رحمت ہیں، تو پھر ایک بیٹی کو پیدا کرتے وقت والدین کے دل میں خوف کیوں پیدا ہوتا ہے؟
آج بہت سے والدین اپنی بیٹی کو اکیلے باہر بھیجتے ہوئے ڈرتے ہیں۔
اسکول بھیجتے ہوئے ڈرتے ہیں۔
کالج بھیجتے ہوئے ڈرتے ہیں۔
کام پر بھیجتے ہوئے ڈرتے ہیں۔
شام کو دیر سے گھر آنے پر ڈرتے ہیں۔
اجنبی سے بھی ڈر لگتا ہے، اور کبھی کبھی اپنوں سے بھی۔
یہ کیسا معاشرہ بن گیا ہے جہاں ایک ماں اپنی بیٹی کو آزادی سے زیادہ احتیاط سکھاتی ہے؟
جہاں ایک باپ اپنی بیٹی کے گھر واپس آنے تک بے چین رہتا ہے؟
جہاں ایک بچی کو چھوٹی عمر سے یہ سیکھنا پڑتا ہے کہ کس سے بات کرنی ہے، کس سے دور رہنا ہے اور کس پر اعتماد نہیں کرنا؟
یہ خوف ایک عام چیز نہیں ہونا چاہیے۔
بیٹی کو پیدا ہونے پر خوشی ملنی چاہیے، خوف نہیں۔
بیٹی کو باہر نکلتے وقت آزادی محسوس ہونی چاہیے، خطرہ نہیں۔
:اور سب سے بڑھ کر
کسی بھی بچی یا بچے کی حفاظت ان کی ذمہ داری نہیں ہونی چاہیے۔ یہ ریاست اور معاشرے کی ذمہ داری ہے۔
The System Has Failed Too Many Victims
One of the biggest problems is not simply the existence of laws.
Pakistan has laws against sexual violence and crimes against children.
The real question is:
Are these laws being implemented effectively?
A law is meaningless if a victim waits months or years for justice.
A law is meaningless if investigations are weak.
A law is meaningless if evidence is mishandled.
A law is meaningless if powerful perpetrators escape accountability.
And a law is meaningless if families lose hope before justice arrives.
Recent child-rights reporting has highlighted continuing weaknesses in investigation, prosecution, evidence collection, case management and delays in trials. (Child Rights Commission)
Justice delayed is not simply a legal problem.
For victims, it can become another form of suffering.
Families are forced to relive their trauma.
Survivors may face social pressure.
Witnesses may become afraid.
Evidence can weaken.
And eventually, people begin to believe that reporting a crime will not change anything.
That is one of the most dangerous things a society can allow.
When people stop believing in justice, criminals become more confident!
We Need Action, Not Just Outrage
We need permanent change.
Our demands should be simple:
1. Swift and Professional Investigations
Cases involving child sexual abuse, rape and violence must be investigated immediately.
There should be properly trained officers and specialised units capable of handling cases involving children and survivors of sexual violence with sensitivity and professionalism.
2. Severe Punishment for Perpetrators
The perpetrators of such horrific crimes must face swift, certain, and severe punishment according to the law. Justice should not remain delayed while victims and their families continue to suffer.
اب وقت آ گیا ہے کہ مجرموں کو صرف پکڑا ہی نہ جائے بلکہ قانون کے مطابق ایسی سخت اور یقینی سزا دی جائے کہ کوئی دوسرا شخص کسی معصوم بچے کے ساتھ ایسا گھناؤنا جرم کرنے کا سوچنے سے پہلے بھی اپنے انجام سے خوف محسوس کرے۔
اور وہ لوگ جو معصوم بچوں کی زندگی، ان کی عزت، ان کا اعتماد اور ان کا بچپن چھین لیتے ہیں، انہیں صرف چند دن کی سرخیوں اور کھوکھلے وعدوں کے بعد بھلا نہیں دینا چاہیے۔
بلکہ ہمیں ایسا نظامِ انصاف چاہیے جہاں مجرم کو اس کے جرم کے مطابق سخت، فوری اور قانون کے مطابق سزا ملے۔ کیونکہ جب مجرم برسوں تک آزاد گھومتے رہیں، جب مقدمات میں تاخیر ہوتی رہے، اور جب انصاف صرف فائلوں اور عدالتوں کے چکروں میں گم ہو جائے، تو یہ صرف ایک مجرم کی کامیابی نہیں ہوتی—یہ پورے نظام کی ناکامی ہوتی ہے۔
مجرم کو سزا صرف سزا کے لیے نہیں ملنی چاہیے، بلکہ قانون کی مضبوطی اور معاشرے میں یہ واضح پیغام دینے کے لیے ملنی چاہیے کہ بچوں کے ساتھ ظلم کرنے والوں کے لیے کوئی رعایت نہیں۔
ایسی مؤثر اور یقینی قانونی سزا ہونی چاہیے کہ جو شخص کسی معصوم بچے کو نقصان پہنچانے کا سوچے بھی، اسے اپنے انجام اور قانون کی گرفت کا خوف ہو۔
ایک مجرم کو قانون کے مطابق یقینی اور مؤثر سزا ملے، تو یہ دوسرے ممکنہ مجرموں کے لیے واضح پیغام بن سکتی ہے کہ پاکستان میں بچوں کے خلاف جرم برداشت نہیں کیا جائے گا۔
ہم چاہتے ہیں کہ انصاف اتنا مضبوط، تیز اور مؤثر ہو کہ کوئی بھی شخص دوبارہ کسی بچے کی زندگی برباد کرنے سے پہلے ہزار بار سوچے۔
مجرموں کو یہ احساس ہونا چاہیے کہ اگر انہوں نے کسی معصوم بچے کے ساتھ ظلم کیا، تو قانون ان تک ضرور پہنچے گا۔
!بس بہت ہو گیا۔
اب صرف بیانات نہیں۔
صرف مذمت نہیں۔
صرف وعدے نہیں۔
اب انصاف چاہیے۔
3. Strong Implementation of Child Protection Laws
Pakistan cannot continue creating laws without ensuring that they work on the ground.
Child protection systems must exist not only on paper but in schools, communities, hospitals, police stations and courts.
4. Accountability for Institutional Failure
When authorities fail because of negligence, corruption, incompetence or deliberate inaction, there must be accountability.
A system that repeatedly fails victims must be questioned.
5. Child Protection Education
Children should be taught age-appropriate personal safety and how to seek help from trusted adults.
Parents and teachers should also learn how to recognise warning signs and respond responsibly to disclosures of abuse.
Silence protects perpetrators.
Awareness protects children.
6. Faster Justice and Better Support for Survivors
Survivors and their families need more than promises.
They need legal assistance.
Psychological support.
Medical care.
Protection from intimidation.
And a justice system that treats them with dignity.
This Is Not Just a Women's Issue. This Is Not Just a Child's Issue.
This is Pakistan's issue!
A country cannot call itself safe when parents are afraid to let their children play outside.
A country cannot claim progress when survivors are afraid to report crimes.
A society cannot claim morality while victims are questioned more harshly than perpetrators.
We must stop asking:
"Why was she there?"
"Why was the child alone?"
"What was she wearing?"
"Why didn't they report earlier?"
Instead, we must ask:
Why did someone think they had the right to harm another human being?
The shame belongs to the perpetrator.
Never to the victim.
How Many More Children?
How many more headlines will we read?
How many more mothers will cry outside police stations?
How many more fathers will demand justice for their children?
How many more children will lose their innocence?
How many more victims will be forgotten after the hashtags stop trending?
We cannot continue saying:
"Something must be done."
Something must be done now.
Because every day we delay, another child may become a victim.
Every delayed investigation sends the wrong message.
Every failed prosecution weakens public trust.
Every ignored complaint gives perpetrators confidence.
And every time society remains silent, we fail another child.
Pakistan Must Choose Protection Over Silence
Children are not statistics.
They are not newspaper headlines.
They are not social media trends.
They are human beings who deserve safety, dignity and justice.
Pakistan must become a country where parents are not afraid to let their children live freely.
A country where a child can report abuse without fear.
A country where victims receive support instead of blame.
A country where perpetrators fear the law.
And a country where institutions understand that protecting children is not optional.
It is their duty.
We have seen the victims.
We have seen the pain.
We have seen the failures.
Now Pakistan must act!
Our demand is simple:
Swift investigation.
Fair and effective prosecution.
Serious punishment for perpetrators according to the law.
Strong implementation of child protection laws.
Support and protection for survivors.
And accountability for every institution that fails the people it is supposed to protect.
Because a child should never have to pay the price for a broken system.
And because the question should no longer be:
"When will we get justice?"
The question should be:
How many more children must suffer before Pakistan finally decides that enough is enough?
Enough silence.
Enough delays.
Enough excuses.
Protect our children.
Protect our daughters.
Protect our sons.
And hold every person and institution accountable.
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