A chilling report from child rights group Sahil has laid bare the escalating nightmare of child abuse in Pakistan, where cases jumped 8% in 2025 to reach 3,630. Local outlets like Pakistan Today have amplified these findings, urging a national reckoning.
Daily, over nine children endured exploitation, a statistic that has worsened year after year. This relentless increase reflects profound gaps in child welfare infrastructure, leaving millions at risk.
Gender-based violence surged 34%, intertwining child abuse with wider societal ills. Sahil’s data-sharing with parliamentarians aims to spark reform, but the path ahead remains fraught.
Nowhere is the crisis starker than in Punjab’s Faisalabad, where 663 child sexual abuse reports surfaced in 2025 across dozens of stations, naming 989 suspects. Zero convictions? That’s not oversight—it’s a systemic collapse. January saw 57 fresh cases, 76 suspects, and ongoing probes in 23, per minority rights advocates.
Flawed investigations, evidence mishandling, court delays, and absent victim protections ensure predators roam free. Behind ‘663 cases’ are shattered lives, terrified families, and a justice system in tatters. Pakistan’s government must confront these deficiencies head-on, or risk condemning another generation to suffering.