Islamabad, 8 October 2025 — Under the leadership of Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan, Convenor of the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights and Parliamentary Secretary for Science and Technology, members of the National Assembly met at Parliament House to confront rising child abuse and low conviction rates across Pakistan. The session reviewed patterns of violence, exploitation and child labour and focused on identifying legal and institutional gaps to strengthen child rights.
The meeting heard a detailed presentation from the Sustainable Social Development Organization, with Mr. Syed Kausar Abbas outlining prevalence data and conviction statistics obtained through the Right to Information Act from law enforcement in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Islamabad. The figures underscored the need for faster legal processes and improved victim protection to prevent secondary harm to children pursuing justice.
Participants included prominent parliamentarians and former members who contributed practical recommendations. In attendance were Dr. Shahida Rehmani, Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, Ms. Shaista Pervaiz, Mr. Pullain Baloch, Ms. Farah Naz Akbar, Ms. Rana Ansar, Ms. Aasia Ishaque Siddiqui, Ms. Zeb Jaffar, Ms. Kiran Imran Dar (virtually), Barrister Danyal Chaudhary, Syeda Shehla Raza, Ms. Nuzhat Sadiq, Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Syed Ali Qasim Gillani (virtually), Ms. Sofia Saeed Shah (virtually), Ms. Asia Naz Tanoli, Mr. Amjad Ali, and former parliamentarians Ms. Surriya Asghar and Ms. Asiya Nasir.
Several concrete measures were proposed to reinforce child protection. Ms. Zeb Jaffar urged school workshops using storytelling to teach children and parents about physical safety through simple concepts like good touch and bad touch. Dr. Shahida Rehmani recommended integrating harassment awareness into school curricula while Syeda Shehla Raza stressed the value of films and visual aids to sensitize teachers, parents and children. Findings from constituency work presented by Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar highlighted risks when children are left unsupervised with relatives or domestic staff.
Speakers also addressed institutional responsibilities: Dr. Amjad Ali called for safe, regulated environments in schools and madrassas; Syed Qasim Ali Gillani advocated accelerating conviction processes to shield victims from intimidation; and Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Ms. Farah Naz Akbar and Ms. Sofia Saeed Shah emphasised training and counselling for educators to help children recognise and report abuse. Ms. Aasia Ishaque Siddiqui suggested exploring anti-harassment features on mobile phones and gaming consoles in collaboration with the Ministry of IT.
Barrister Danyal Chaudhary raised the need to strengthen institutional frameworks to rescue children coerced into beggary by exploitative relatives, and speakers repeatedly highlighted how improving conviction rates and survivor support are central to advancing child rights. The caucus agreed on the importance of multi-stakeholder coordination, combining legal reform, community awareness and capacity building for frontline professionals.
Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan thanked members and SSDO for their contributions and called for sustained parliamentary engagement to translate proposals into policy and action. The meeting concluded with a group photograph to mark this step toward improved protection and justice for children across Pakistan.
