The Future of Children

Sexual violence and exploitation of children in Pakistan is not a new problem. This wound is not new; it is old. The only difference is that in the past this wound remained hidden under layers of homes, streets, families, pressure, shame and silence. Fifty or sixty years ago, the media was not so widespread, news did not reach people so quickly, and many incidents were buried as if they had never happened.

In those times, if a child was abused, the child often did not have the courage to tell anyone because of fear, shame or pressure. Parents also often remained silent because of social disgrace, family pressure, fear of the police or the influence of powerful people. In this way, the crime was not committed only against the child’s body or mind; after that, a second crime also began: the crime of silence.

Today, the media has advanced. News comes out quickly, and through newspapers, television and social media, it is no longer as easy as before to hide incidents. But the question is: Has the problem been solved just because incidents are now exposed? The truth is that the problem still exists. The only difference is that in the past much was hidden, and today much comes forward. But coming forward is not the same as justice.

According to reports, several children in Pakistan become victims of sexual abuse, exploitation or violence every day. In some horrific cases, children are even killed after this abuse. Even writing this sentence makes the heart tremble, because in a society where a child is not safe, the claim of having a future becomes very weak.

We often say that children are the future of the nation, that children are the builders of the country, and that children will study and take the nation forward. But the point to think about is this: if a child’s innocence, trust and mental peace are crushed at the very beginning of life, how will that child become the future of the country? If the shadow of fear is placed upon a child’s soul, how can we expect light from that child?

The real issue is not only one crime; it is an entire social attitude. In Pakistani society, openly discussing such topics is still considered shameful. Parents feel embarrassed, children feel afraid, families fear dishonor, and many people think that remaining silent is better. But silence never becomes protection. Silence often gives the criminal more power.

Organizations working for child protection and various reports have repeatedly shown that many such incidents are never reported. The cases that reach the police or the media may only be one part of the real picture. Therefore, when a report mentions hundreds or more than a thousand cases within a few months, we must also understand that the actual number may be much higher, because many affected families do not file cases due to fear, poverty, pressure or the fear of disgrace.

Another bitter reality is that strangers are not always involved in such crimes. According to several reports, the offender may often be someone the child knows: a close person, a relative, a neighbor or someone connected to the family circle. This is exactly why such incidents become even more complicated. When a crime is born inside the home, the neighborhood or the circle of trust, the child’s world breaks in a single moment.

The issue of law is also very important here. Laws may exist, institutions may be established, and statements may be issued. But if the implementation of the law is weak, all of this remains only a paper wall. When an affected family faces pressure, influence, threats, delays or obstacles from powerful people on the path to justice, then fear of the law is not created in the heart of the criminal, but in the heart of the victim.

And if some of those who are supposed to protect the law are themselves found involved in abuse of power, negligence or support for influential people, the trust of ordinary people breaks even further. The real duty of the police and law enforcement agencies is to protect the weak, not to frighten them further. When trust in the protector disappears, society begins to become hollow from within.

It is also important to understand that such crimes are not only a legal issue. They can also be the result of sick thinking, moral decline, abuse of power, lack of upbringing and psychological disorder. A person who commits violence against a child or a woman does not merely break the law; he also wounds the foundation of humanity. For such a criminal, punishment according to the law is necessary, but at the same time, psychological evaluation by experts should also be carried out to determine whether he could become a danger to society again.

A punishment of only a few months or a few years, if it comes without reform, treatment, monitoring and a system to prevent reoffending, does not fully solve the problem. If a person completes a sentence and returns to society with the same sick mentality, the danger does not end; it is only stopped for some time. Therefore, justice should not mean punishment alone. It should also include protection of the affected child, accountability of the offender, psychological assessment, treatment, monitoring and prevention of future crimes.

In Pakistan, this problem is like a tree with very deep roots. Its roots are not only in crime, but also in poverty, ignorance, fear, shame, weak law enforcement, social pressure, the influence of powerful people, mistrust of the police, keeping children unaware of their rights, and the silence of parents. If only the branches are cut and the roots are not examined, this tree will continue to grow again.

It is necessary to create public awareness about children’s rights. Parents must be made to understand that listening to a child, believing the child, not scolding the child but protecting the child is their first responsibility. Schools, madrasas, teachers, neighborhoods, families and the state must all accept that a child is not anyone’s property, but a complete human being. Protecting the child’s dignity, safety, voice and future is the duty of the entire society.

After such incidents, the affected child and the family should not be made to feel ashamed. Shame should belong to the criminal, not to the victim. The disgrace is not of the child who suffered abuse; the disgrace belongs to the society that remains silent even after the abuse. Until we understand this difference, many children will continue to bury their pain inside their hearts.

Mere verbal progress, political slogans, religious claims or social pride cannot take a country forward. Real progress comes from human thinking, respect for the law, protection of the weak, implementation of justice and recognition of human dignity.

Today the question is not only how many incidents have occurred. The real question is: How long will we keep counting? How long will there be noise for a few days after every incident and then silence again? How long will children grow up in fear? How long will parents abandon the path of justice because of fear of disgrace? How long will the law appear weak before the powerful and harsh before the weak?

If Pakistan truly cares about its future, it must first take the protection of its children seriously. Children can become the future of the nation only when their present is safe. A frightened child, a wounded child, a silent child, a child whose voice no one hears, does not carry only his own pain; he carries the burden of the failure of the entire society.

This problem does not belong only to the police, the courts, parents or teachers. It is a problem for all of us. Until society considers the pain of children its own personal responsibility, every report, every news story, every protest and every expression of sorrow will remain incomplete. Protecting children is not only a requirement of the law; it is a test of humanity. And a society that fails this test should think very seriously about its future.

Shahid Shakil

2026-07-08