THE world rightly sees child domestic workers as modern slaves, while domestic labour is categorised as informal work, or invisible labour. In July 2022, a qualitative study by the International Labour Organisation revealed that one in every four Pakistani households employs a minor, showing a predominance of girls
The National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) advanced major child protection reforms in 2024–2025, including the drafting of the Prohibition of Child Labour in Domestic Work Bill 2024 and advocacy for harmonizing the minimum marriage age at 18 years across all provinces. The Commission launched the
The brick kiln industry in Pakistan continues to violate human rights, deeply affecting vulnerable groups such as women and children through bonded labour and exploitation. Despite legal measures and international commitments, these abuses persist, especially in Punjab, which has more than half of Pakistan’s brick kilns and around
The concerns regarding forced conversion are not a new phenomenon in our part of the world. Almost a century ago the All India Muslim League chalked out the rules for conversion in this region. The All India Muslim League adopted a resolution in December, 1927 at Calcutta which
IMAGINE a child happily heading to the park to play ball with friends. A stray dog prowls nearby, foaming at the mouth and ferociously gnawing on a bramble. The canine spots the children and lunges at them. Some run away screaming in terror, while one unlucky child is
Children make up nearly half of Pakistan’s population, yet remain the most overlooked in climate planning. From school closures during floods and heatwaves to rising health risks, child labour, and unsafe displacement, climate change is undoing vital development gains for millions. Despite numerous policies, child-focused action remains missing.
THE world’s battle against polio is stuck on a glass mountain. After 37 years and $22bn, the Independent Monitoring Board has declared that conventional strategies are running out of road. Its latest assessment, The Glass Mountain, places Pakistan centre stage. The country has reported 27 new cases this year — small
Seven-year-old Muhammad Aban, from a poor family and currently admitted to Benazir Children’s Hospital in Mardan (BCHM), longs to play with other children but is too weak due to complications from thalassaemia. Diagnosed when he was just 11 months old, he needs two to three blood transfusions every
DEVASTATING floods are now an annual emergency in Pakistan. Climate change is hitting hard, manifesting in new weather patterns including cloudbursts. Sudden torrential rainfall, which continues relentlessly, can literally move mountains. This phenomenon was observed in many places in the northern parts of the country. The gushing water sweeps away
Pakistan is home to over 53 million boys under 18, forming a significant part of its 106 million child population. Yet, challenges remain acute: nearly 27% of boys aged 5–16 are out of school, and an estimated 3.4 million children are engaged in child labour, with boys forming
Pakistan is on the cusp of a major public health breakthrough. From September 15 to 27, the country will launch its first-ever national HPV vaccination campaign – an ambitious yet necessary initiative aimed at protecting millions of girls from cervical cancer, a disease that claims thousands of lives
A MIX of natural calamities, terrorism and bureaucratic ineptitude has resulted in difficulties for students in KP’s Khyber tribal district. In fact, the situation in Khyber reminds us of the disruptions in education that tens of thousands of school-age children face across Pakistan because of floods and militancy.