Over 4,150 cases of violence against children were reported in Punjab during the year’s first half, according to a report issued on Monday.
The statistics were revealed in the Sustainable Social Development Organisation’s (SSDO) Factsheet on Violence against Children (VAC) in Punjab, covering the period from January to June 2025.
A press release issued by the organisation said that of the 4,150 cases, challans were presented in 3,989 cases, while 3,791 were under trial, with an average of 23 cases reported daily, based on district-level police data obtained through the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act 2013.
It added that Punjab’s reporting mechanisms had improved over the past year, resulting in increased registration of cases. However, the SSDO noted that conviction rates remained “critically low and require immediate attention”.
It noted that “despite the volume and severity of offences, only 12 convictions were recorded during the six-month period”, making for a conviction rate below one per cent.
The SSDO said sexual abuse remained “one of the most troubling” categories with 717 cases registered, 658 challaned and 581 still under trial.
“The category saw 12 acquittals and eight withdrawals but zero convictions,” it pointed out.
Meanwhile, child beggary was the most frequently reported offence, with 2,693 cases registered across the province, adding that 2,674 of these were challaned and 2,669 remained under trial, yet none resulted in a conviction.
“Other forms of exploitation also pose serious threats. Child trafficking registered 332 cases, resulting in four convictions, while 182 cases of child labour led to eight convictions, the comparatively highest outcomes among categories, yet still alarmingly low relative to the number of offences. Meanwhile, 87 cases of physical abuse and 27 kidnapping cases produced no convictions.
“Child marriage continues to be severely underreported, with just 12 cases registered in the first six months of 2025 and no convictions or acquittals, pointing to entrenched cultural and procedural barriers that obstruct reporting,” the SSDO said.
It reported that district-level data identified Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Sialkot as the “major hotspots for child abuse, exploitation and trafficking.
“Lahore recorded the highest numbers of sexual abuse, child beggary and trafficking cases, while Nankana Sahib, Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin also showed elevated trafficking trends.”
The organisation said that its findings overall revealed “critical gaps” in Punjab’s child protection ecosystem, extremely low conviction rates, thousands of cases pending trial and persistent underreporting of sensitive crimes.
It called for urgent reforms, including strengthened investigative capacity, fast-tracked trials, increased coordination between departments, expanded child protection units and awareness efforts to encourage reporting at the community level.
“SSDO emphasised that protecting children in Punjab requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to ensure justice, accountability and long-term safety for every child.”
Earlier this month, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Ministry of Human Rights launched consultations to prepare a national Strategic Action Plan on Violence Against Children, aiming to strengthen prevention and protect the country’s 112 million children.
The initiative addresses multiple forms of violence against children in Pakistan, including killings, physical and sexual violence, psychological abuse, and neglect. The plan comes as the country faces challenges where only one in three children under five is registered at birth and over 12.5 million are involved in child labour.
The consultations, which included experts, partners, participants from all provinces and self-governed areas, began in Karachi and concluded in Islamabad.
The new strategy will be grounded in the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the INSPIRE framework, an evidence-based package developed by international agencies under WHO’s leadership.