KARACHI:
The question is not why child sexual abuse exists in Pakistan; the question is why the state fails to prevent it from happening in the first place. Justice cannot be served by penalties alone. What needs to be addressed is the underlying environment that contributes to such crimes, including children’s early exposure to sexually explicit content available on social media.
We recently witnessed the case of a toddler named Aizal who was assaulted by a 17-year-old relative — she passed away on the way to the hospital. How many more cases do we have to witness? Repetition is itself evidence of a failure in the state’s child-protection infrastructure.
Laws exist but when it comes to implementation they remain largely on paper. Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) provides a legal framework against online offences, including offences involving minors, while the FIA and PTA have roles in cybercrime enforcement and regulation of digital platforms. Yet, when it comes to practice, these institutions often come forward only during political crises to censor or ban social media platforms.
What I urge the higher authorities to do is strengthen age-verification and child-safety mechanisms on digital platforms. Parliament must legislate and enforce stronger measures for child protection, while existing institutions must ensure that these laws are implemented effectively. Aizal is gone and the next child is not yet a headline. There is still time to act.
Khadija Bukhari
Islamabad
