TOO many Pakistani children have nowhere to turn when abused online. An estimated 1.5m internet-using children aged 12 to 17 experienced sexual exploitation or abuse involving digital technology in the year preceding a nationwide survey conducted in 2025. This is cited in the Disrupting Harm in Pakistan report, produced by Unicef, ECPAT International, and Interpol. As disturbing as the scale is, what happened afterwards is equally alarming. More than half the affected children told nobody, while none of those surveyed who experienced abuse approached formal reporting channels. In 85pc of incidents, the offender was someone the children knew. Social media accounted for 44pc of reported incidents. These findings expose a serious weakness in Pakistan’s child-protection system: children are suffering abuse, often at the hands of people they know, without being able to seek help. Fear of blame, humiliation, and punishment at home can be enough to silence them. Some worry that their families will restrict their access to phones or the internet instead of confronting the abuser. Boys face additional barriers because sexual abuse against them is rarely discussed openly. Behind these figures are children who may continue to suffer threats and blackmail because they see no safe way out.
The government’s responsibility cannot end with passing laws against online exploitation. Those laws mean little to a child who does not know where to report abuse or fears what might happen afterwards. Pakistan needs reporting services that children can reach easily and use confidentially, with trained staff who know how to respond without judgement. Schools should help children recognise abuse and understand where to seek help, while parents must respond with reassurance rather than scepticism or punishment. Equally important is what happens once a complaint is made. The study identifies gaps in legal protections for children during investigations, including the absence of a requirement that forensic interviews be conducted by specially trained professionals. This must change. Children should not have to recount traumatic experiences repeatedly or face questioning that leaves them feeling responsible for what happened. The National Commission on the Rights of Child has called for stronger cybercrime investigation capabilities and specialised units. These proposals deserve attention, resources and oversight.
Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2026
