Eleven-year-old Mohammad Tariq* and his nine-year-old sister Bibi Amdia* have abandoned their Quran studies at a local mosque in their village, Choti Pind Hashim Khan, east of Haripur district. This decision came after the siblings allegedly suffered sexual abuse at the hands of their teacher, an incident reported in October 2024.
According to the victim’s father, Yousaf Ali*, 48, he had noticed the qari (cleric) watching movies in the mosque, but was unaware of his cruel nature. “He has destroyed my children’s lives and shattered us with a lifetime of pain,” the white-bearded man replied, his eyes brimming with tears.
The first information report (FIR) of the case lodged at police station Sadar, Haripur on October, 20, 2024, stats victims father, Yousaf Ali* came to the police station and reported that his children had been sexually assaulted by their teacher Qamar Zaman in the mosque in Pind Hashim Khan village.
“Upon returning from work, I attend to my buffaloes. My wife informed me that our son revealed during Quran studies at the mosque on October 18, the Qari took him to his room and sexually abused him. This was not an isolated incident, as our son claimed it had happened twice before. Meanwhile, our daughter began crying and disclosed that she too had been assaulted 3-4 times by the mosque Qari in his room within the mosque premises,” the complainant stated in the FIR.
While speaking, the victim’s father claimed that they had recovered videos of his daughter as well. He stated that when he first went to the mosque with neighbors to confront the Qari, they discovered that he had been assaulting children within the mosque premises and recording videos of the incidents, however, the assistant sub-inspector, investigation officer of the case refuted to this claim, says he did not find videos with the accused.
Mansoor Ali* is a police constable in Shangla whose minor son was sexually assaulted by his neighbors in their shop in December, 2024, however, both the accused were arrested and the police likely to submit its Challan in the court in coming days and the court had already granted bail to one of the accused after he was claimed to be juvenile.
The victim’s father told The Northern Post his son was just nine years old and was returning his home back from his aunt’s home in afternoon when he was called by the shopkeeper Nasibur Rehman and his cousin Ahmad Aziz to his shop where they forcefully took his clothes off and started abusing him while filming the ordeal.
District Investigation officer, Inspector, Usman Munir told The Northern Post that they had recovered the video clip from the accused and sent to laboratory in Peshawar for forensic analysis, while investigation underway.
Inspector Munir stated that following the bail grant to the second accused, they constituted a medical board to assess the accused’s age, as he appeared to be above puberty. He assured that they would submit their challan in court to ensure justice for the victim.
“It’s a close-knit village where everyone knows each other. Women here roam freely, work in the fields, and even gather firewood from the mountains alone, all without fear of harm, thanks to our strong cultural values. However, the presence of such evil-minded individuals is turning our society into a hell for children,” Mansoor Ali said.
Mansoor Ali expressed his desire for justice for his minor child, saying, “Besides seeking justice for my son, I worry about the stigma he will carry for life. In our conservative society, people can be cruel with their words, and I fear for his future. As he grows up and gains maturity, I’m concerned about the emotional toll this trauma will take on him.”
Statistics obtained from the Shangla district police, shows 8 cases were lodged under sections 376 of Pakistan penal code and section 53 of Child Protection welfare Act 2010 in the various police stations of the district in 2024.
In early December, 2024, a 14 year old boy reportedly sexually molested by a police assistant sub inspector at a checkpost in limits of Jowar police station.
On the victim’s complaint, an FIR was lodged at PS Jowar, and the ASI was arrested and suspended from his position. However, according to the investigation officer of the case, Sartaj Khan, the doctor’s medical report had not confirmed the assault, although it was proved in the forensic analysis. Replying to a question, Sartaj Khan said the case was transferred to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as per rules for investigation, and the accused had been jailed.
Data obtained from the Buner district police, 11 FIRs of the 376 PPC and 53 CPA were registered in 2023 and 5 cases in 2024 in the district police stations.
In a detailed interview, the father of the two sibling victims in Haripur revealed that people have lost trust in seminary teachers and have removed their children from madrasas, enrolling them in schools instead.
The victims’ father said that every child nowadays is vulnerable and unsafe due to these devil-minded people. He personally picks up and drops off his children from school and inquires about their daily activities. He now spends more time with his children, whereas earlier, being an illiterate laborer, he was unaware of childcare and often neglected them. However, after this incident, he has become more friendly and open with his children, and they now freely discuss everything with him and their mother.
In December 2019, a case of the Madrasa student had become in the limelight of international and national media, Qari Shamsudin, a resident of Kohistan who had sexually exploited his 10 years old student and tortured him.
On August 18, 2022, the local court sentenced Qari Shamsuddin to 16 years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 0.2 million in the rape case.
In September, 2024, a minor boy was assaulted by a man in the Battagram city, the accused was arrested and sent to jail.
The Battagram district 376 PPC, 53CPA FIRs statistics for 2024 shows, total 6 cases registered, 4 in police station Battagram and 2 each in police station Bana and Police station Kuza Banda.
Tariq Aziz, a Nadra official, has been carrying a wrenching heart since his minor daughter was assaulted and murdered by their neighbor in 2017 in the Shang area of Bisham, Shangla.
Mr. Aziz, who still uses his late daughter’s photo as his WhatsApp profile picture, says he is unable to forget his daughter because she was extremely loving and caring, and her life was taken after being sexually assaulted.
Replying to a question, he stated that the perpetrator is still alive and enjoying his life in jail, despite being sentenced to death three times by the Anti-Terrorism Court, Malakand Division.
According to the Bisham police, 55-year-old Jumaraz sexually assaulted the 7-year-old girl and later murdered her, wrapping her body in a sack that was later found in a narrow space between two walls of two houses.
The victim’s father said he spent over 10 million rupees on the court case, and although the accused was sentenced, he is still alive. However, no one can fulfill his loss and bring his daughter back.
Mohammad Zahid Khan, Senior Superintendent of Police for the Investigation Wing in Shangla, who has worked in almost all districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, shared his experience, stating that there has been a significant rise in child abuse cases in the province. However, he noted that the majority of people avoid registering FIRs due to the perceived shame and dishonor it brings to the family in society.
“The law is prevailing, and we take action when people report cases. However, in most instances, people opt for out-of-court settlements and compromises, resulting in a lower conviction rate,” the SP Investigation said.
He pointed out that another challenge is that often, both the accused and victims are juveniles, and the accused party takes advantage of this to secure release.
To eliminate and stem the rise of child abuse cases, awareness and policy-level amendments are required, he emphasised. These measures include controlling teenagers’ access to mobile phones and pornographic websites, as well as ensuring parental oversight.
According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police’s director public relation, Kaukab Farooq, 351 FIRs have been registered in 2024 under section 376PPC and 53CPA across the province.
Sahil, a non-governmental organization who gather the statistics of violence against children from national and regional newspaper, revealed its data for the first six months of 2024, cruel Numbers data reveals alarming statistics on child abuse in Pakistan. According to the data, a total of 1,630 cases of child abuse were reported across the country in the first six months of 2024.
These cases include 862 incidents of child sexual abuse, 668 cases of abduction, 82 cases of missing children, and 18 cases of child marriages. Additionally, 48 cases of pornography following sexual abuse were recorded during this period.
A breakdown of the data shows that out of the total reported cases, 59% (962) of the victims were girls, while 41% (668) were boys.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government strengthened child protection laws by passing a bill in 2022, amending the Child Protection and Welfare Act. This amendment aimed to make punishments more stringent for crimes against children, including sexual abuse, pornography, organ trade, and trafficking.
The assembly introduced an amendment to Section 48, specifically addressing child pornography. According to the revised section, anyone found guilty of child pornography will face rigorous imprisonment ranging from 14 to 20 years, along with a fine between two million and seven million rupees.
In contrast, the original law prescribed imprisonment ranging from three to seven years and a fine between Rs200,000 to Rs500,000 for offenders involved in child pornography. The amendment also increased penalties for offenders involved in the seduction of children.
Dr Samina Karim is an Associate Professor at the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom, who is currently leading on international research, which began in 2022, to study the issues present.
In an online interview with The Northern Post, Professor Karim shared that she has spent several years working in Pakistan and, over the past two years, has conducted extensive research on child protection. As one part of the study, 111 child abuse victims have been interviewed alongside key professionals—including police officers, legal advocates, teachers, and doctors—to assess the effectiveness of existing child protection measures.
Sharing preliminary findings, Professor Karim noted that multiple factors contribute to the challenges present in protecting children from abuse in Pakistan, including societal and cultural attitudes, the implementation of legislation, poverty, gender vulnerabilities and other factors, which all connect to the way in which power operates in society.
“Everybody has individual power, and as professionals, alongside this we have an additional layer of power, that we can refer to as ‘professional, institutional power’, which we should be using more effectively to empower and protect children from harm.” The UK based University Professor said.
“Despite progressive legislation, the enforcement of child protection laws in Pakistan remains weak due to systemic challenges. Law enforcement agencies often lack specialized training to handle child abuse cases sensitively, while bureaucratic inefficiencies and underfunded child protection units further limit the effectiveness of legal frameworks. Strengthening enforcement requires improved inter-agency coordination, dedicated funding, and sustainable capacity-building programs for law enforcement officials to ensure timely justice and protection for vulnerable children.” – Dr Karim says.
Read also: 11 children abused per day during 2023, Says Sahil annual report
Responding to a question on the underreporting of child abuse in Pakistan, Dr Karim said that families often silence their children after they become victims of assault, fearing shame and dishonour in society. However, she proposes, that if we stay silent on the issue, it gives power to perpetrators. “So, as professionals in all capacities, we need to work to address this by supporting people to report cases so that victims, survivors are no longer made to feel they have anything to hide or be ashamed of – because they don’t”
Professor Karim stated that the police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are proactive, but the research suggests that generally in Pakistan, mistrust remains between victims, survivors of abuse or their families and the police. She explained that the research highlights how families of child abuse victims often fear reporting cases to the police. As a result, some choose to settle matters out of court, leaving them without a real sense of justice—an outcome that can subsequently embolden abusers to continue their crimes.
One aspect of the research has also explored how medical professionals respond to child protection concerns, and preliminary findings show how they either feel obliged not to say anything due to the family fearing shame in society, or they have limited structures within medical settings to be able to report cases of abuse. Coming to the solution, Dr Karim, suggests that the reporting of child abuse cases is essential, and where families feel unable to report their concerns through formal channels, professionals absolutely must, therefore clear reporting procedures need to be established within all health and education services.
Professor Karim emphasised that although families may not report child abuse cases, professionals who interact with children have a critical role to play in reporting such incidents while ensuring the protection of the victim’s identity. This, she believes, is essential to eradicating this heinous crime which impacts on children, their families and wider society.
Furthermore, Professor Karim highlighted the importance of community engagement and awareness campaigns, allocating funds for this purpose at the policy level to change social attitudes which create silence and stigma around child abuse, whilst also having child protection specialists in the police and FIA who are trained to handle child abuse cases, as these cases require an additional layer of sensitivity.
