A Wake-Up Call: The Crisis of Childhood in Pakistan

When I think about Pakistani society, two images come to mind: women gossiping in circles and children playing freely. As we grow older, we realize how stress-free childhood was. We feared nothing except homework and looked forward to evening playtimes. But in adulthood, it becomes clear — not every child has that luxury. Many Pakistani children are robbed of their childhoods, their innocence replaced by fear, hardship, and survival.

It is a national failure if a country cannot offer its children a safe and carefree upbringing. Pakistan faces many challenges, but perhaps none more heartbreaking than the silent suffering of its youngest citizens — children fighting battles they don’t even understand. They are surviving, not living, and we, as a society, watch in silence.

Weekend outings are common in Pakistani culture. During family visits to restaurants or cafes, I often see children working — cleaning tables, washing windshields, taking orders, or simply begging in corners. The contrast is painful. While some children eat comfortably with their families, others work to earn a few rupees. As a university student, I see the same thing on campus — young children begging or setting up seats for us. It is gut-wrenching to watch one child enjoy an education while another child serves them. This isn’t a rare incident; it’s widespread. Around 13.6% of boys and 12.6% of girls in Pakistan are engaged in child labour. About 36% of these children come from underprivileged families.

What’s even more disturbing is the practice of hiring children as domestic help. Wealthy families often employ young girls as babysitters, even taking them to restaurants to watch over their own kids. It’s a painful irony — one child cares for another while being denied their own childhood. Is poverty the only crime these children have committed? Is their only fault being born into families that lack status or education?

I often reflect on my own childhood, and the privilege it held. My siblings enjoy the same freedom. But right next to us are children living lives of hardship. If I can feel ashamed of this reality, why can’t our nation? Why don’t the authorities act? Why is our government silent while child labour persists?

Unfortunately, labour isn’t the only form of abuse. Pakistan also struggles with the horrifying rise in child sexual and physical assault. According to the 2023 Sahil Foundation report, over 5,000 cases were recorded in a single year, with Punjab alone contributing 62% (3,323 cases). In 2024, Karachi reported 891 kidnapping cases, 152 of which involved sexual assault. Girls made up 55% of victims, boys 45%.

Take the tragic case of Sawera, a five-year-old from Gulzar-e-Hijri, whose body was found in a drain — raped, tortured, with organs missing. What was her fault? How many more children will suffer such horrors before Pakistan acts? In 2024, the Sustainable Social Development Organisation reported 7,608 child abuse cases, an average of 21 per day. These alarming numbers are not just statistics — they represent destroyed lives.

Another disturbing practice is child marriage. In regions dominated by feudal customs like watta satta, girls as young as 5 to 9 years are married off. In some rural communities, young girls are used as compensation in family disputes. Lack of education and awareness in these areas allows these unethical practices to flourish. Over 19 million child brides have been recorded in Pakistan — a staggering figure. And yet, there is little to no government action or media coverage. It’s an issue buried in silence.

Child abduction is also alarmingly common. In early 2025, 56 children were reported kidnapped; 22 remain missing. While 74% of kidnapped children are eventually reunited with their families, the remaining 26% are either never found or discovered after being sexually assaulted or murdered. These numbers point to a terrifying reality — children in Pakistan are unsafe.

While I write about the suffering of children in Pakistan, I cannot forget the children of Palestine — innocent lives lost under Israeli aggression. My heart goes out to the families, to the childhoods stolen, to the future erased. May we see a free Palestine in our lifetime, where children can live, play, and dream once more.

Back in Pakistan, no child should have to live a lost or burdened life. Children should not be seen as tools for labour, victims of abuse, or property to be exchanged. They deserve education, safety, freedom, and love. They deserve the right to be children.

Our country must wake up to this crisis. The well-being of children must become a national priority. These children are not just part of our present — they are the architects of our future. Every effort must be made to protect their innocence, uphold their rights, and secure their future.

It’s time for policymakers to act, for society to reflect, and for every citizen to demand change. Hopefully, one day, our society will become a place where children are no longer afraid — where every child can laugh, learn, and live freely.