A report published by the Sustainable Social Development Organisation(SSDO) showed that over 4150 cases of violence, exploitation and abuse against children are registered in Punjab, Dawn reported. This factsheet is based on data collected over only six months in 2025. The report is titled “Factsheet on Violence Against Children (VAC).”
SSDO issued a press release, adding that challans were submitted for 3989 cases, while 391 cases are currently under trial. The data had been collected from district-level police records, as permitted under the Punjab Transparency and Rights to Information Act, 2013. An average of 23 cases of violence against children have been reported daily.
The press release also revealed that improved reporting mechanisms have led to an increase in the registration of these cases, yet the conviction rate has been “critically low”. It also stated that the crisis required immediate attention, as only 12 convictions were recorded from January to June 2025, indicating a conviction rate of less than 1%.
The report stated that sexual abuse had been the “most troubled” category, with 717 cases registered, out of which 658 were challaned and 581 are still under trial. Twelve accused have been acquitted in this category; 8 cases have been withdrawn, and no convictions have been recorded thus far.
The most reported cases came from the child beggary category, with 2693 incidents reported in the Punjab province. Nearly all cases were challaned and most remain under trial with no conviction.
Under the category of child trafficking, 332 cases were reported that led to 4 convictions, while the 182 cases of child labour yielded 8 convictions. In the 87 cases of physical abuse and 2 cases of kidnapping, there have been no convictions either.
The report claims that child marriage was significantly underreported, with only 12 cases registered, with no convictions or acquittals. The SSDO also stated that these cases have not been reported due to cultural and procedural barriers.
According to the data, most cases of child abuse, exploitation and trafficking were registered in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Sialkot. Lahore, in particular, reported the highest numbers of sexual abuse, child beggary and trafficking cases. An increase in trafficking was also recorded in Nankana Sahib, Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin.
The report concluded that, given the extremely low conviction rate, Punjab’s child protection ecosystem continues to face critical gaps. Thousands of cases are pending trial, and many cases even go unreported. SSDO has called for urgent reforms, including improved investigative capacity, expedited trials, enhanced departmental coordination, expansion of child protection units and broader community-level awareness campaigns.
It also emphasised that, to safeguard children, the government and society must work hand in hand, thereby ensuring accountability and long-term protection.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Ministry of Human Rights launched consultations to prepare a national Strategic Action Plan on Violence Against Children. The initiative aims to strengthen prevention mechanisms and safeguard Pakistan’s 112 million children from killings, physical and sexual violence, psychological abuse and neglect.
