Child abuse remains a significant issue in Pakistan, with reports of physical, sexual, and emotional violence, as well as exploitation through child labor and trafficking. Despite legislative efforts like the Zainab Alert and Recovery and Response Act of 2020, the country struggles with low conviction rates in child abuse cases. Recently, a disturbing case of online child exploitation was uncovered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, involving a man from Rawalpindi who used fake social media identities to trap and blackmail minors.
The investigation revealed a pattern where the suspect posed as a girl on Instagram to lure boys, record explicit material, and then threaten to leak it unless they complied. This case sheds light on the prevalence of online child exploitation in Pakistan and the vulnerability of children to digital predators. Another arrest in Surjani Town involved a suspected serial predator accused of kidnapping boys, harassing them, and moving them to different locations, with DNA evidence linking him to multiple cases between 2020 and 2025.
In a separate incident in Muzaffargarh, young children were targeted, abused, and filmed inside a gaming club, highlighting another distressing child pornography case. The suspect exploited children by secretly filming them and using the footage for blackmail. Despite existing laws and efforts to address child abuse, challenges persist due to stigma, weak enforcement, and cultural barriers that hinder reporting and justice for victims. The NGO Sahil has raised concerns about the crisis, citing data that shows a high incidence of child sexual abuse in the country.
Pakistan’s struggle with low conviction rates in child abuse cases reflects systemic failures in investigative processes and enforcement. While laws like the Zainab Alert, Recovery and Response Act of 2020 have been implemented, issues such as weak evidence collection and children’s reluctance to report abuse contribute to the challenges in addressing this pervasive problem.
