Dr Shabana Safdar Khan
Pakistan is systematically failing its children. The recently published State of Children in Pakistan Report 2024 by the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) paints a grim picture of what it means to grow up in a country marked by deep-rooted neglect and institutional apathy. With 112 million children—making up nearly 40% of the population—Pakistan faces an urgent crisis that affects nearly every facet of a child’s life: education, health, safety, and overall well-being.
Despite being a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and enshrining children’s rights in Article 25-A of its own Constitution, which guarantees free and compulsory education for children aged five to sixteen, Pakistan continues to betray its youngest citizens. The statistics are damning, and they are not just numbers—they represent millions of stunted dreams and broken futures.
The report highlights that more than 26 million children between the ages of five and sixteen remain out of school, trapped in what it bluntly describes as a “learning crisis.” This isn’t merely about missed classes or outdated curricula. It’s a systemic failure that robs nearly a quarter of the country’s future workforce of basic literacy and numeracy, setting them up for a life of poverty, marginalization, and exploitation.
Health indicators are equally harrowing. Half of all children under the age of five are malnourished. In a country plagued by food insecurity and economic instability, this statistic signals a humanitarian disaster. Malnutrition in early childhood doesn’t just stymie physical growth; it also severely impacts cognitive development, leaving lifelong scars that hinder personal and economic potential.
Child protection, an area that should be non-negotiable, is in complete disarray. In just the first half of 2024, there were 862 reported cases of child abuse, 668 cases of abduction, 82 incidents involving missing children, 18 cases of child marriage, and 48 horrifying instances of child pornography linked to sexual abuse. These figures likely represent only a fraction of the true extent of the problem, as underreporting remains rampant due to stigma, fear, and the inefficacy of law enforcement.
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The tragedy of these figures is compounded by the government’s almost complete indifference. Every statistic in the report is an alarm bell, but these warnings have consistently fallen on deaf ears. While Pakistan’s leaders are quick to sign international treaties and make lofty constitutional promises, the follow-through has been, at best, cosmetic.
Laws remain on paper, devoid of real implementation. Child protection frameworks are fragmented, underfunded, and riddled with inefficiencies. There’s little political will to prioritize children’s issues, perhaps because children—unlike other constituencies—cannot vote or lobby for their own interests. As a result, successive governments have treated child rights as an optional extra rather than an urgent moral and economic imperative.
What does a nation reap when it neglects its children so profoundly? The answer is devastating. Childhood deprivation often leads to long-term mental health challenges, including chronic stress, anxiety, and depression. Children exposed to abuse and neglect are at significantly higher risk of engaging in violent behavior, falling into substance abuse, or becoming victims of trafficking and exploitation.
The ripple effects extend beyond the individual. A society that cannot nurture its young fosters cycles of poverty and violence, undermining social cohesion and economic progress. The result is a perpetually unstable nation, stuck in a loop of underdevelopment and disenfranchisement.
The NCRC’s report is not just a diagnosis of the problem; it also offers a roadmap for action. But these recommendations require more than lip service—they demand bold, sustained investment and a shift in national priorities. Three areas stand out as particularly urgent:
- Early Childhood Development: Investing in the early years is critical. This means not only expanding access to nutritious food and basic healthcare but also providing early education opportunities that can break the cycle of poverty before it takes root.
- Strengthening Child Protection Systems: Pakistan must overhaul its child protection infrastructure. This includes establishing well-funded and accessible reporting mechanisms, training law enforcement to handle cases sensitively and efficiently, and ensuring swift justice for perpetrators of abuse.
- Universal Education and Healthcare: The right to education and healthcare is not optional—it is a fundamental human right. Expanding access to quality schooling and medical services, especially in marginalized and rural areas, is essential for giving every child a fair chance at a better life.
Pakistan stands at a crossroads. It can continue down the current path of neglect, condemning millions more children to lives of hardship and hopelessness. Or it can act decisively, recognizing that the wellbeing of its children is not just a moral obligation but a cornerstone of its own survival and progress.
To move forward, Pakistan needs more than policy tweaks; it requires a cultural shift that places children at the center of national planning and development. The time for symbolic gestures is over. What’s needed now is bold action—because a nation that fails its children is ultimately failing itself.
