Islamabad: A nation's commitment to the safety of its youth and children is a testament to its moral and social fabric. Recent reports and emerging data from Pakistan indicate a disturbing increase in child abuse and violence, raising serious concerns about the protection and welfare of the country's youngest citizens.

In Punjab, a seminary teacher was arrested for assaulting a 12-year-old student who failed to memorize a lesson. The incident prompted Punjab's Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to demand a report from the IG Police.

Further exacerbating the issue, a report by Bitter Winter, a magazine focused on human rights and religious liberty, revealed a horrific incident in late March. Mudassar Nazeer reported to the police that he caught prominent cleric Maulana Abubakar Muavia raping his 12-year-old son in Tandlianwala, Faisalabad. The cleric was subsequently arrested.

In another alarming case, a minor girl in Burewala suffered severe burn injuries from an acid attack. Nine-year-old Fatima was attacked by an unidentified cyclist while returning from school.

In Karachi’s Orangi Town, police recently busted a gang involved in sexually abusing children and rescued three minors. The investigation began after a child went missing on May 11, leading to the uncovering of the gang’s heinous activities.

These incidents underscore the pervasive vulnerability of children in Pakistan to physical violence. A report by the Pakistani non-profit organization Sahil revealed 4,213 child abuse cases reported across the nation in 2023. Of these, 2,251 (53 percent) were girls and 1,962 (47 percent) were boys, with children aged 6-15 years being the most vulnerable. Alarmingly, even children as young as 0-5 years were not spared.

The report highlighted that in 2,021 cases, children from both genders were sexually abused. Additionally, 61 cases involved the murder of the child post-abuse, and 1,833 cases were related to abduction. The number of missing children stood at 330, and 29 cases of child marriages were registered.

UNICEF's report on child protection in Pakistan paints a similarly grim picture, stating: "Children in Pakistan are vulnerable to many forms of violence (physical, psychological, sexual) and exploitation, including economic exploitation and child trafficking." Despite nearly 30 years since Pakistan ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the country still lacks a public coordinated child protection case management and referral system aligned with international standards.

UNICEF estimates that approximately 3.3 million Pakistani children are trapped in child labor, depriving them of their childhood, health, and education, and condemning them to a life of poverty.

The organization attributes this dire situation to limited awareness, gender-biased social norms, and frequent natural and human-made disasters.

With the new government under Shehbaz Sharif, there is hope for a stronger commitment to the welfare of citizens, including children. However, the government has yet to fulfill its promises, as violence against children continues unabated in Pakistan.