The Interior Ministry disclosed to the Senate on Tuesday that over 35% of the 567 rape cases registered in Islamabad since 2021 involved children. In a written response to Senator Shahdat Awan, the ministry revealed that of these 200 cases of child sexual abuse, the victims were 93 boys and 108 girls. The data, covering from January 1, 2021, to June 20, 2025, highlights a severe and ongoing crisis of violence against children in the capital.
The official figures further expose a critically low rate of conviction for these heinous crimes. While 222 accused individuals were arrested in connection with the child abuse cases, only 12 have been convicted. The vast majority, 163 suspects, are still under trial, with 15 having been acquitted and 26 remaining at large. For all rape cases, including those against adults, only 80 convictions were secured from the 625 arrests made, with 406 cases still pending in court.
The ministry’s report also included concerning data on missing children, with 266 cases registered in Islamabad between 2022 and 2025. Of the 153 boys and 120 girls reported missing, the law enforcement outcome was similarly bleak: only two convictions were achieved from 135 arrests. This national issue is further contextualized by a recent civil society report from Sahil, which documented a staggering 3,364 child abuse cases across Pakistan and its territories in 2024 alone.
This Senate revelation has renewed focus on the country’s struggle to combat child sexual exploitation, a problem tragically epitomized by the 2018 rape and murder of six-year-old Zainab in Kasur. Her case sparked national outrage and eventually led to the passing of the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Bill in 2020, which was designed to expedite investigations and punish perpetrators. However, the newly released data suggests that the implementation of justice remains painfully slow and ineffective.
