Child Violence in Pakistan



Children are not only the easiest to intimidate, they're also the cheapest workers. Twelve-year-old Tariq, one of thousands employed in Pakistan's soccer ball industry, which produces five million balls a year for the U.S. market, stitches leather pieces in Mahotra. He earns 60 cents a ball, and it takes most of a day to make one (Schanberg, 1996:38). 





Child Labour done in factories and industries



Akbar, 12, makes drums for washing machines in a factory in Pakistan.  

Children being used in small hotels of Pakistan as waiters and providing other services.

One of the major issues related to child violence that is being faced in Pakistan and other Asian countries is Child trafficking. Child trafficking is the illegal transport of a child from one place to another. It could be within the country or across the international borders. Child trafficking is done by deception our other form of illegal method for the use of exploitation. Exploitation includes child labour and transfer of child’s organs.

Child trafficking is present in all the provinces of Pakistan but according to SPARC Sindh is the major source and Karachi being the destination of child trafficking. The nature of child trafficking is different in NWFP where female children are the victims and are sold for marriages. Now in NWFP it is a custom to sell female children under the age of 18 as brides. When going across the borders, children are trafficked for recreational activities such as camel jockeys. People involved in child trafficking make false promises and take them abroad for camel jockeys and other sports related stuff.

Sexual exploitation is the worst form of Child Violence in Pakistan, and the most painful thing is that in spite of forming so many laws and policies for its prevention it still exists. The exact magnitude of the problem is difficult to ascertain as there is gross under reporting because of the shame associated with it.

"One child below 16 years is raped every 155th minute, a child below 10 every 13th hour, and one in every 10 children is sexually abused at any point in time."

 (HAQ 2005)

Pakistan being a developing country and having an illiteracy rate reaching sky heights, more than half of its population does not understand the gravity of this form of violence. Even if people do, they just do not care. According to facts, most abuses have had been a victim of this crime themselves. If an individual is emotionally affected or disturbed, they stop to think rationally and often give no value to anyone’s dignity or innocence. Hence if such violence prevails, one can only imagine the rapid rise it would give to potential abuses. However no matter what the amount of abused children is, even if it’s one percent, no child deserves such a life, it should come to a halt.