ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly highlighted the collective responsibility of lawmakers to ensure a safe and nurturing environment for every child in Pakistan.
The call was made on Sunday during a session of the Parliamentary Group on the Rights of the Child (PCCR) in Parliament.
The meeting, chaired by PCCR President and Parliamentary Secretary for Science and Technology Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan, deliberated on the alarming increase in child abuse cases across Pakistan.
It focused on examining trends in child violence, abuse and exploitation and examined current conviction rates in these cases.
Dr. Nikhat opened the session by welcoming members and distinguished guests, emphasizing the collective responsibility of legislators to create a safe and nurturing environment for every child in Pakistan.
Highlighting the urgent need for improved prevention and justice mechanisms, she called for identifying legal and institutional gaps and encouraged active parliamentary engagement to develop effective policy recommendations.
The Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO), represented by its Executive Director Syed Kausar Abbas, delivered a comprehensive presentation detailing the prevalence of child abuse, child labor, early marriage, trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
The report also provides statistics on convictions obtained under the Right to Information Act from law enforcement agencies in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Islamabad.
He shared a detailed presentation on reported cases and conviction rate over the last six years (2019 to 2024).
The data presented to the parliamentary caucus was collected using provincial Right of Information Acts and federal laws and under Article 19-A of the Constitution of Pakistan.
Another qualitative report on Good Touch & Bad Touch, a development study of Islamabad schools, was presented by SSDO Director of Programs Maryam Jawad and Research Associate Yusra Khurram Butt.
The parliamentarians shared their suggestions and recommendations on the report which will soon be published for wider dissemination on the issue.
During the open debate, several constructive proposals were made to strengthen child protection efforts.
Parliamentary Secretary Zeb Jaffar advocated holding workshops in Islamabad schools to educate children and parents on physical safety through stories focusing on “good touch, bad touch”. Dr Shahida Rehmani called for mainstreaming bullying awareness into school curricula, while MP Syeda Shehla Raza highlighted the effectiveness of visual materials such as films in raising awareness among parents, children and teachers.
Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar shared findings from her constituency highlighting the risks of leaving children unsupervised with relatives or domestic staff. With the contribution of the APP
