Abandoned Daughters

1 min read

Beyond policy measures, there must be a fundamental shift in how daughters are perceived in society.

The bodies of five newborn girls, discarded like garbage and mutilated by stray animals in Sialkot, reveal a horrifying reality of Pakistan’s deep-seated disregard for female life. This is a symptom of a society’s moral deprivation, where daughters are still seen as burdens, where gender preference is so deeply entrenched that some choose to kill rather than raise a girl.

While the police have launched an investigation, scouring CCTV footage and using intelligence networks to trace those responsible, or so they claim, the real question that should be asked is: what drives parents to abandon their own blood in such a brutal manner? Even more horrific is the fact that this is not an isolated incident. Across Pakistan, baby girls are frequently left to die in dumpsters and deserted streets, yet the nation remains disturbingly silent. The law already criminalises infanticide, but weak enforcement and societal complicity allow this cruelty to persist. Therefore, harsher penalties for infanticide and child abandonment must be reinforced, ensuring that those who commit such crimes are held accountable. The government must go beyond arrests and also focus on prevention. Safe havens – such as the cradles placed outside Edhi centres – must be expanded so desperate parents have alternatives. Religious leaders, too, must speak out, making it clear that Islam condemns the killing of children, regardless of gender.

Beyond policy measures, there must be a fundamental shift in how daughters are perceived in society. A key driver of gender discrimination is the belief that daughters are financial liabilities, often due to cultural expectations surrounding dowry and limited economic opportunities for women. To counter this, the government should invest in initiatives that empower women economically, such as vocational training programmes and incentives for female entrepreneurship. When families see that daughters can contribute financially, the stigma surrounding their birth may begin to fade.

Editorial published in the Express Tribune on 4th March 2025

Previous Story

40 Schools In Residential Buildings Sealed

Next Story

MoU Signed To Introduce Al-powered Tutor ‘Khanmigo’ In Schools

Latest from Blog

Schools Violating Vacation Orders Penalised

SWABI: Complaints pouring in from different circles have forced the officials of the district administration to take action against schools who failed to comply with the provincial government’s order of summer holidays. The provincial education department has closed both public and private sector schools for summer holidays on June 15,…

Three Booked For Rape Of Ninth-grader

SAHIWAL: Police have registered a case against three suspects and arrested two of them for allegedly molesting and blackmailing a 15-year-old ninth-grade student through a mobile phone video in the official quarters of the irrigation department in Neeli Bar Canal Colony. Reports said ‘S’ of Sarwar Shaheed Road, Civil Lines,…

Three Pakistani Schools Among Top 10 Finalists For World’s Best School Prizes

ISLAMABAD: Three Pakistani schools have been named among the Top 10 finalists for the World’s Best School Prizes 2025. The prizes, launched by T4 Education in 2022 following the COVID-19 pandemic, aim to highlight innovative practices in schools that are transforming lives both inside and outside the classroom, according to…

Three Missing Hindu Girls Recovered From Karachi

Three underage Hindu girls who had mysteriously gone missing from Shahdadpur recently have been recovered from Karachi. Officials said on Thursday that Dr Lal Chand Ukrani, special assistant to the chief minister of Sindh on minority affairs, had taken serious notice of the incident and directed law enforcement agencies to…

STBB Committee Calls For Creativity And Tolerance In School Curricula

Hyderabad: The Sindh Textbook Board (STBB) reviewed committee has emphasised the inclusion of critical thinking, creativity and tolerance in school curricula. Officials said on 18-June-2025 that on the directives of Sindh Minister for Education Syed Sardar Ali Shah, the first meeting of the curriculum review committee formed by the Sindh…
Go toTop