More than 17,000 cases involving child abuse and sexual offences were registered across Pakistan in 2025, with Punjab accounting for nearly three-fourths of the total, according to data compiled by the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC).
The data showed that 17,348 cases were registered between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 2025. The NCRC noted that a single case could involve more than one allegation.
Punjab recorded the highest number with 12,800 cases, accounting for 74 per cent of the national total, followed by Sindh with 3,187 cases, or 18pc.Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded 855 cases, representing 5pc of the total, while Islamabad Capital Territory reported 431 cases, or 2.5pc. Balochistan recorded 75 cases, accounting for 0.4pc.
According to the NCRC, girls constituted 65pc of the victims, while boys accounted for 35pc.
Children between the ages of 11 and 17 made up 86pc of the reported cases. Another 2,378 cases, or around 13pc, involved children aged 10 or younger.
The largest category involved abduction or forcible taking away of children for forced marriage or sexual exploitation, with 8,205 cases reported during the year.Another 5,024 cases involved rape and sexual abuse of minors, while 3,163 cases concerned non-penetrative sexual abuse. The data also recorded 2,847 cases involving grooming or enticement for sexual abuse.
In 281 cases, children were allegedly given intoxicating or narcotic substances.
Experts have also raised concerns over the use of the dark web for the production and circulation of child sexual abuse material, highlighting emerging challenges for law enforcement agencies in tackling online exploitation.
NCRC recommendations
The commission has proposed a series of measures to strengthen child protection mechanisms across the country, including the establishment of fully staffed District Child Protection Units in every district with trained case managers.It has also recommended setting up Child Protection Committees at hospitals to provide medical, forensic, legal and psychological services to survivors under one roof.
At the provincial level, the NCRC has proposed establishing Survivor Support Funds to meet immediate medical and legal expenses as well as relocation and long-term counselling costs.
The commission has further called for a trauma-informed rehabilitation and follow-up mechanism for survivors for at least 12 months after the conclusion of a trial.
It also stressed the need for strict safeguards to protect children’s identities and digital data during investigations, court proceedings and media coverage.
