ISLAMABAD: Based on data gathered from 84 national and regional newspapers, a leading child rights group in Pakistan said in a new report that there was a four percent increase in the number of child abuse cases last year, with more than eight children abused every day in Pakistan in 2020.
As there is no mandatory reporting of sexual abuse cases in Pakistan and many parts of the country are remote and literary rates and awareness of laws is minimal, a large number of sexual abuse cases go unreported, Sahil said in a report released on Thursday, implying that the total number of cases in the country could be much higher than the data gathered by the non-profit using newspaper figures.
Around 51% victims out of 2,960 cases of child abuse reported in the media in 2020 were girls while 49 percent were boys.
“The research shows that children are most vulnerable to abuse in the age group [of] 6-15 years,” the report, Cruel Numbers 2020, said, adding that children as young as 0-5 years also suffered sexual abuse.
In 1,780 cases, children were abused by their acquaintances while service providers, such as teachers, shopkeepers and drivers, were involved in 91 such cases.
“A total of 91 cases were family members and relatives, and in 92 cases neighbors were involved,” the report added. “In 468 cases, strangers were involved in abusing children.”
Sahil’s findings revealed that 58 percent cases of child abuse were reported in Punjab, 29 percent in Sindh, seven percent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and three percent in Islamabad Capital Territory.
The organization also showed that 65 percent such cases took place in rural areas while 35 percent occurred in urban centers.
While more than eight children were abused every day in Pakistan, about 13 percent of incidents of assault were not even reported to the police in 2020, Sahil said.
Child abuse cases on the rise, leading Pakistani child rights group says
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Child abuse cases on the rise, leading Pakistani child rights group says
- More than eight children were abused every day in Pakistan in 2020
- 2,960 cases of child abuse reported in the media in 2020
Pakistan alleges India behind Balochistan attacks that killed 18 civilians, 15 troops
- Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accuses India of planning coordinated attacks across Balochistan this week
- Military says it killed 133 militants on Friday and Saturday in separate operations across various areas in Balochistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi this week alleged that India was behind the recent coordinated attacks in the southwestern Balochistan province that the military says killed 18 civilians and 15 troops, vowing to go after those responsible for the violence.
Pakistan’s military said on Saturday that it had killed 133 militants in the past two days in separate operations in Balochistan. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said 41 militants were killed in operations in Panjgur and Harnai areas on Friday while 92 militants, including three suicide bombers, were killed on Saturday as security forces repelled coordinated attacks on civilians and law enforcement personnel in Quetta, Gwadar, Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump and Pasni areas.
It added that 18 civilians, including women, children, elderly people and laborers, were killed in the attacks in Gwadar and Kharan, while 15 security personnel were also killed during clearance operations and armed standoffs.
“India is behind these attacks,” Naqvi said during a joint press conference in Quetta late Saturday night with Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti. “I can tell you for sure that India planned these attacks along with these terrorists.”
He vowed that Islamabad would go after the militants who carried out these attacks and their “masters.”
“At this time it is very necessary that the world knows that the main country that is behind terrorism is India, who not only financially supports terrorists but also supports them in their planning and strategy as well,” the minister said.
In its statement on Saturday, the ISPR said the attacks were launched by “Indian sponsored Fitna al Hindustan,” a reference the military frequently uses for the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militant group.
The BLA also issued a statement on Saturday, saying it had launched what it called “Operation Herof 2.0,” claiming responsibility for attacks in multiple locations across Balochistan.
The military had said intelligence reports have confirmed the attacks were orchestrated and directed by militant leaders operating from outside Pakistan who were in direct communication with attackers during the assaults.
Pakistan has frequently blamed India for supporting militant attacks in Balochistan and its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces, charges that New Delhi has vehemently denied.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has faced a decades-long insurgency by separatist militant groups, with Pakistani authorities frequently accusing foreign actors of backing the violence. India has repeatedly denied such allegations.
