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 from 10 to 14 years in our domestic workforce. Over 264,000 children in the country were serving as domestic employees. The picture now is darker still:
Child Rights in Focus
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has reserved its judgment on a contentious public-private partnership for a school in Sector F-11, after the Capital Development Authority (CDA) formally objected that the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) cannot sublease a plot meant for a government school and that the matter was never placed before the federal cabinet for mandatory approval. The CDA’s stance was presented before IHC Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas during the hearing
KARACHI: A man in his 50s, said to be a drug addict, set four of his neighbour’s children on fire, killing two of them, and then took his own life with a knife, officials said on October 15. They said that the man took the extreme step because the children used to “tease” him about his drug addiction. South DIG Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that at around 2pm an incident of fire took place inside
KARACHI: A critical global conversation on safeguarding and shaping the future of the next generation began on October 15 as the 13th International Conference on ‘Raising Children in Our Times’ opened in Karachi. The event is hosted by the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development (IED). Speaking as the chief guest, Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah declared the proper raising of children to be the “fundamental challenge of our era”. He
RAHIM YAR KHAN: A toddler who was hospitalised after being attacked by a stray dog in the Nooraywali area two days ago, succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday. Reports say that two-year-old Husnain, a resident of Basti Nooraywali near Adam Sahaba Canal, was playing outside his house on Sunday when a stray dog mauled him. He was shifted to Shaikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH), where he succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday. Khurram
MANSEHRA: The Upper Kohistan administration has directed all private educational institutions across the district to construct washrooms for students and staff within a month or face strict legal action. “We have served notices to all private schools and colleges in our district, directing them to ensure separate washroom facilities for students and teachers within the next 30 days. Failing to comply will lead to proceedings for suspension of their registration with the education department
PESHAWAR: A group of influencers comprising paediatricians, media professionals, religious scholars, political stalwarts and radio journalists pledged to push forward the national agenda of making Pakistan polio-free by promoting routine immunisation through their respective influencer networks under the guidance of Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A collaboration session of these community leaders was organised by EOC in partnership with Unicef. The session was attended by around 40 participants including provincial lawmakers Syed Qasim
MOHMAND: Girls wearing school uniforms blocked the main road in Ambar tehsil of Mohmand tribal district to protest prolonged absence of teachers and closure of their school here on Tuesday. The students accompanied by their parents staged the protest outside their primary school situated along Ambar road. The school has reportedly been non-functional for over two years owing to continuous absence of two teachers who, according to protesters, were drawing salaries without performing their
Religious minorities in Pakistan face structural discrimination and social exclusion that adversely affect their access to basic rights and services, including education, health, protection, and participation. Within these marginalized communities, children experience multiple layers of vulnerability due to poverty, social stigma, and institutional neglect. The situational analysis identifies that minority children—particularly those from Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and Kalash communities—often face discrimination in schools, harassment, exclusion from decision-making processes, and limited access to child protection
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 State of Children in Pakistan Report 2024 and its digital State of Children Portal to support evidence-based policymaking. Key achievements included removing the mandatory Form-B requirement
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 186,000 workers. This report builds on a previous study by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) and examines the patterns of abuse within Punjab’s brick
KARACHI: From the age of 10, Amina has been scrubbing, sweeping and cooking in a middle-class home in Karachi. Like millions of children, she is a household helper, an illegal but common practice that brings grief to families often too poor to seek justice. “Alongside my mother, I cut vegetables, wash dishes, sweep the floor and mop. I hate working for this family,” said the 13-year-old, who leaves her slum neighbourhood at 7am and