The Pandemic of Child Rape in Pakistan
Shanzay Waseem
Islamabad: Waking up to yet another report of a child being raped and murdered can leave a person with a profound sense of helplessness. For a young generation growing up in a country founded on religious and moral values, the repeated violence against innocent children raises painful questions about how such crimes continue to occur and why those responsible are not deterred.
The questions are many, but answers often fade quickly. Why are investigations and prosecutions not swift enough? Why does justice take so long? And where is the collective voice of religious scholars and other influential sections of society when children are subjected to such horrific crimes?
Islam places grave importance on the protection of life, dignity and innocence, making a stronger and more visible response to such crimes an urgent moral responsibility.
There are many gaps that must be addressed to understand why child sexual abuse continues and why perpetrators may believe they can escape accountability. When the fear of consequences disappears, the law itself begins to lose its deterrent power.
Another difficult issue is the absence of age-appropriate education about personal safety, boundaries, bodily changes and respect. Children are increasingly exposed to sexualised material online, including explicit advertisements that can appear on gaming, entertainment and other websites.
Parents cannot monitor their children every minute, but they can create an environment in which children, particularly boys, learn about respect, consent, boundaries and the dignity of others.
For girls and women, harassment remains an experience that can occur at different stages of life. Addressing it requires more than punishment after a crime; it requires changing attitudes that allow disrespect and abuse to take root.
The justice system must also ensure that cases involving children are treated as a priority. Punishment should follow due process and the law, but justice must also be timely. Delayed justice can deepen the suffering of victims and their families while weakening public confidence in institutions.
Recent cases illustrate the horror of the problem. Seven-year-old Muntaha Zahra of Sargodha was reportedly murdered and sexually assaulted after going to a local store. Five-year-old Ayat Noor of Haripur was reportedly sexually assaulted and killed, while 18-month-old Aizal was allegedly assaulted by a 15-year-old relative. Cases involving teenage perpetrators are particularly disturbing, raising questions about what children themselves are being exposed to and how families, schools and society are responding.
These reported cases are only part of the picture. Many incidents never reach the media because families fear stigma, social consequences or institutional failure. According to data cited by Dawn from child-rights organisation Sahil, 1,914 cases of child abuse were reported across Pakistan during the first six months of 2026.
Protecting a child’s right to live safely must become a national priority. Government, law enforcement, courts, healthcare institutions, schools, families, religious leaders and civil society all have a role to play.
Children cannot protect themselves from a system that remains silent. Their protection is a responsibility shared by everyone—and it begins with refusing to look away.
