Pakistan’s launch of its first National Strategy to End Violence Against Children (2026-2031) is a significant policy development.
Launched in Islamabad on October 14 by the Ministry of Human Rights, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the strategy adopts the internationally recognised INSPIRE framework to strengthen prevention, protection, response, recovery and access to justice for children. It was presented during a national consultation organised with Unicef.
The need is undeniable. According to the strategy, up to eight in ten children in Pakistan experience violent discipline, while millions remain exposed to child labour, exploitation and other forms of violence. Yet the real measure of government commitment is not the strategy it launches, but the laws it enforces and the protection it delivers to children.
National strategies make for excellent public relations, but announcements and policy documents mean little without action. The real measure of a government’s commitment is the laws it enforces, the institutions it holds accountable and the protection it delivers to children. The real measure of success is the way child protection works on the ground.
Pakistan is not short of laws, policies or institutional mandates relating to children. The challenge is implementation. When a child is rescued from trafficking or exploitation, is safe accommodation available? Can the child access medical care, psychosocial support and legal assistance? Who ensures rehabilitation continues after the immediate crisis? These questions determine whether a child is genuinely protected or merely removed from one dangerous situation without adequate support.
A child protection system cannot function when institutions operate in isolation. Police may identify a child in need of protection, but an effective response also requires social welfare services, healthcare professionals, legal authorities and rehabilitation providers. The government must establish clear responsibilities, allocate adequate resources and set measurable targets. National policy must translate into practical provincial and local arrangements, with corrective measures when institutions fail.
The INSPIRE framework recognises that preventing violence against children requires more than law enforcement. Training professionals and raising public awareness are important, but cannot substitute for functioning services, adequate staffing and institutional accountability. A law cannot deliver justice if it is not implemented.
Children employed in private households are among the country’s least visible workers. Their employers are spread across neighbourhoods, and exploitation can remain hidden until a child suffers serious injury or abuse. The National Commission on the Rights of the Child has acknowledged the absence of a database registering child domestic workers. Although provincial surveys provide some estimates, the true scale of the problem remains difficult to establish.
Without reliable data, the government cannot assess the scale of the problem, allocate resources or measure progress. Legislation alone will not end exploitation. Provincial laws differ, and the legal position on domestic work must be distinguished from the laws governing other forms of child labour. Where employment is prohibited, the law must be enforced; where legal gaps remain, they must be addressed.
The public deserves answers: How many complaints have been investigated? How many employers have been prosecuted and convicted? What penalties have been imposed, and what protection has been provided to the children concerned? The National Strategy to End Violence Against Children (2026-2031) must specify how child domestic labour will be identified, prevented and addressed, with clear responsibilities for labour departments, police and child protection authorities. Every child removed from an exploitative household must have access to safe rehabilitation, education and psychosocial support. Employers who violate the law must be held accountable; children must not bear the burden of systemic failure.
The exploitation of children through organised begging illustrates the gap between legislation and enforcement. The Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, 2018, was amended in 2025 to explicitly include organised beggary within the definition of trafficking. Where the offence involves a child, the amended law provides for imprisonment of up to fourteen years and a fine of up to Rs2 million. It recognises that children forced or induced to beg may be victims of organised exploitation, rather than offenders to be punished.
Yet the existence of a law does not mean it is enforced. How many cases involving the organised exploitation of children through begging have been registered, investigated, prosecuted and decided under this legislation? If cases are not reaching the courts, why are they not being investigated or prosecuted? Where cases are brought, are the provisions being applied effectively?
Where some judicial officers are reluctant to apply child trafficking provisions to organised begging, the relevant authorities must clarify how the law should be applied and ensure that children are treated as victims requiring protection and rehabilitation. The government should publish figures on cases registered, prosecutions initiated, convictions secured and sentences imposed. Without transparent reporting, it is impossible to determine whether the law is delivering justice or organised exploitation continues with impunity.
The government must publish an implementation plan with defined responsibilities, realistic timelines, budgetary commitments and measurable indicators. Progress must be assessed not by consultations held, officials trained or policies issued, but by whether children are safer, services are accessible and cases result in appropriate protection and rehabilitation.
The Ministry of Human Rights, WHO and Unicef can support implementation through practical benchmarks, identification of gaps and transparent reporting. Provincial governments and child protection departments must translate national commitments into operational arrangements.
Civil society organisations can contribute field experience, identify gaps, advocate for improvements and connect children with services. They cannot compensate for deficiencies in government systems or monitor every institution nationwide. Accountability must remain with the authorities mandated and resourced to deliver protection.
As founder and president of the Save Our Children Foundation, Pakistan, my experience in child protection advocacy has reinforced one fundamental principle: protecting a child requires more than intervention during a crisis. It requires a coordinated response that restores safety, dignity and well-being.
Pakistan has established a national policy framework for ending violence against children. The task now is to show how it works in practice. Children cannot wait years to discover whether the strategy has succeeded. Success must be measured not by public announcements at public launches, but by whether children receive protection, justice and the opportunity to recover when they need help.
The writer is the founder and president of Save Our Children Foundation.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed in this piece are the writer’s own and don’t necessarily reflect Geo.tv’s editorial policy.
Originally published in The News
