Society in Turmoil?

The Persistent Crisis of Child and Women Abuse in Pakistan

Child abuse and the harassment of women have long been pervasive issues in Pakistan, often going unnoticed or unaddressed by authorities. These crimes are not only deeply disturbing but also reflect a broader societal failure to protect the most vulnerable members of the population. While children and women are the primary victims, it is typically men who perpetuate these acts with little fear of consequences.

In many cases, working women face constant harassment in public spaces and at their workplaces, while those confined to their homes endure domestic violence, honor killings, or punishment for giving birth to daughters. Gender-based discrimination continues to undermine the rights, property, and opportunities of women solely based on their gender. This systemic issue has deep roots in cultural norms and legal loopholes that allow such abuses to persist.

Child abuse, in particular, takes various forms, including neglect, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. It is especially alarming when the abuse targets minor girls, as it combines elements of child molestation with gender-based discrimination. Despite the prevalence of such crimes, the state has never prioritized the protection of children from abuse and neglect.

Recent high-profile cases highlight the severity of this issue. One such case involved Shabbir Ahmed, a street vendor in Karachi’s Qayyumabad, who confessed to abusing nearly 100 minor girls over nine years. Police recovered a diary containing names and records of the victims, along with a USB drive holding over 400 objectionable video clips involving 100 minors. This case echoes similar incidents in the past, such as the 1990s when Javed Iqbal, a notorious serial killer, abused and killed children in Lahore. In 2015, an organized child sexual abuse scandal in Kasur involved a group of 20-25 men forcing hundreds of children into sexual acts, which were filmed and used for extortion.

In all these cases, the response from police, parents, and neighbors was strikingly similar: silence, negligence, and ignorance. Parents overlooked signs of abuse, and neighbors failed to notice anything suspicious. This collective failure allows abusers to continue their crimes until some external intervention leads to their arrest.

To truly address these issues, it is essential to understand the psychological and social factors that drive such crimes. However, Pakistan's criminal justice system lacks the tools and expertise to analyze the minds of offenders. Courts rarely rely on psychology, modern science, or technology, despite their potential to uncover the root causes of abuse.

High-profile cases should not be seen merely as isolated incidents but as complex social, political, psychological, and economic issues. Understanding what triggers such behavior is just as important as punishing the perpetrators. Rehabilitation, deterrence, and incapacitation must be part of the solution, rather than just focusing on punishment.

Unfortunately, Pakistan lacks reliable data on child labor, domestic servitude, neglect, trafficking, begging, and corporal punishments in madrasas and schools. According to Sahil, an NGO, an average of 12 children were subjected to sexual abuse every day in 2023. Another organization, Roshni Helpline, reported 3,070 cases of missing children in 2024, with 35 still unaccounted for. These numbers represent only reported cases, and the actual figure is likely much higher due to social stigma, weak monitoring, and the absence of a centralized database.

Meanwhile, 25.3 million out-of-school children await the state’s response to their right to education. When the government fails to provide safe and accessible education, predators find opportunities to exploit vulnerable children. Denial of education becomes a direct enabler of abuse, violence, and molestation.

The state and civil society have consistently failed to protect children and women from abuse. Laws against rape and child marriage remain ineffective due to systemic challenges, and many cases go unreported. Without accurate data and effective policies, efforts to prevent recurring casualties among children and women will remain inadequate.

Until the state takes meaningful steps—amending laws, creating therapeutic prisons, implementing strict enforcement, and integrating child safety education into school curricula—it falls upon society to break the cycle of abuse. This includes fostering open dialogue between parents and children, raising awareness about child rights, promoting gender equality, and encouraging the reporting of unaddressed cases.

Addressing these issues requires a collective effort from all sectors of society, as the protection of children and women is not just a legal obligation but a moral imperative.