The UN Child Rights Committee has issued its findings on the combined sixth and seventh periodic reports of Pakistan on Feb 5, 2026 following its latest review session. The findings contain the Committee’s main concerns and recommendations on implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), 1989.
The Committee welcomed progress on birth registration, including fee waivers in some provinces, but remained seriously concerned about the high number of unregistered children. It highlighted barriers such as outdated laws, weak enforcement, and complex procedures, and urged legal reforms to ensure universal, immediate birth registration and the abolition of all remaining fees.
The Committee also raised grave concern over the deportation of Afghan children, including unaccompanied children, without individual risk assessments under the Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan. It warned of serious rights violations and called for a national refugee law, an asylum system for refugee children, and respect for the principle of non-refoulement.
Finally, the Committee expressed concern about sexual exploitation of children, particularly boys, in touristic and religious sites, hotels, bus stops, and online. It called for urgent measures to identify children at risk, assess the scope of exploitation, and urged stronger prevention, investigation, response and prosecution of these crimes.
Click the following link to download the full report: Concluding Observations.
