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Pakistan’s Children Remain at Risk as 1,914 Abuse Cases Reported in Six Months
Nearly 1,914 cases of child abuse were reported across Pakistan between January and June 2026, according to Sahil’s latest Six Months Cruel Numbers report. Although the figure is slightly lower than the 1,956 cases recorded during the same period last year, it remains a disturbing measure of the dangers faced by
Christian Community Mourns Shazib Masih’s Killing in Islamabad, Pakistan
Pakistan’s Christian community is mourning the death of Shazib Masih, a young Christian who was reportedly shot and killed by an unidentified assailant in Islamabad. The circumstances surrounding the killing remain unclear. Authorities have yet to identify the attacker or determine the motive behind the shooting, raising serious concerns about the
Stolen Girls: The Hidden Machinery of Forced Conversion and Child Marriage in Pakistan
They are called “conversions” in official records. But behind the paperwork, signatures, and stamped certificates are children—girls barely in their teens—whose lives are being quietly erased. A recent report titled Stolen Girls, presented at the European Parliament by the Jubilee Campaign, lays bare a reality that is as disturbing as it
Justice in Question: Minor Returned to Alleged Abductor in Faisalabad Case
Authorities and courts in Faisalabad have sparked widespread outrage after a Sessions Court granted custody of 13-year-old Christian girl Amber Nadeem to the man accused of abducting her. The decision has alarmed human rights defenders and exposed serious weaknesses in Pakistan’s child protection framework and judicial conduct. On 12 June 2026,
Honor Without Justice: The Enduring Tragedy of Honor Killings in Pakistan
The continued use of “honor” as a justification for killing women in Pakistan reflects a disturbing contradiction between law and reality. While legal reforms have attempted to curb such crimes, the persistence of these killings reveals a deeper crisis—one rooted in social norms, power structures, and weak enforcement of justice. According
Pakistan’s Hidden Crisis: Over 3,000 Gender-Based Violence Cases in Just Six Months
Pakistan is not just facing a rise in gender-based violence—it is witnessing a quiet emergency unfolding behind closed doors. In the first six months of 2026 alone, at least 3,172 cases were reported. That number is difficult to absorb, but what it represents is even harder: thousands of individuals harmed, silenced,
Child Protection on Trial: Will Pakistan’s Top Court Legitimize a Child’s Abuse or Restore Maria Shahbaz’s Right to Safety?
Pakistan stands at a moral crossroads as the Federal Constitutional Court prepares to hear the review petition in the case of 13‑year‑old Maria Shahbaz on July 24. At its heart, this is not only a legal battle over custody — it is a test of whether the country’s highest court will
Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws: A System Undermined by Fear, Misuse, and Institutional Failure
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws have become one of the country’s most controversial issues, not only because of their impact on religious minorities but also because of the repeated failure of institutions to prevent their misuse. A law that should operate within the boundaries of justice and fairness has, in many cases, become
Pakistan Cashes In On EU Trade Perks, While Its Religious Minorities Pay the Price
Pakistan is cashing in on the EU’s GSP+ trade concessions while it fails to honour the core human rights and governance obligations that justify those benefits. Atrocities, discrimination and violence continue at home, yet Pakistan still presents itself as a compliant partner on paper. Since 2014, Pakistan has relied on the
Targeted Killings of Christian Minorities in Balochistan Spark Renewed Calls for Protection and Justice
The killings of two young Christian men in Balochistan are not just another tragic headline—they are a stark reminder of how fragile life remains for religious minorities in Pakistan. Ayush Masih, 21, and Domnik Masih, 24, were shot dead by gunmen on motorcycles in Mastung. The attack happened in the Shamsabad
Justice Denied in Flames: Pakistan’s Failure to Protect Its Christian Minorities
Twelve years after one of Pakistan’s most brutal cases of mob violence, justice has not just been delayed—it has collapsed. The Supreme Court’s acquittal of the last three men convicted in the 2014 lynching of the Christian couple, Shahzad Masih and his pregnant wife, Shama Bibi, has reignited grief and raised
From Worship to Ashes: Pattoki Christian Family Loses Home in Alleged Revenge Arson
In Pattoki, Punjab, a Christian family has been reduced to homelessness in a deliberate arson attack that raises urgent questions about justice, protection, and equality in Pakistan. On 5 July 2026, Arshad Masih (34), his wife Kafia Bibi (33), and their two young sons, Haniyal (8) and Abraham (5), were attending
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Special Cases
Behind Closed Doors: The Hidden Epidemic of Child Abuse in Pakistan
Childhood should be a time of safety, learning, and hope. Yet in Pakistan, countless children are facing a growing crisis of abuse, exploitation, and neglect. According to Sahil’s Cruel Numbers 2025 report, at least 3,630 cases of child abuse were recorded last year—a troubling 8% increase from 2024. This translates to
On the Eve of National Minorities Day, Pakistan’s Forgotten Voices Demand Justice
LAHORE/KARACHI/ISLAMABAD – As Pakistan prepared to mark National Minorities Day on August 11 — a day meant to honor diversity, unity, and equal citizenship — the mood in minority communities was far from celebratory. Instead of parades of pride, there were tears of frustration, voices choked with pain, and memories of
Pakistan’s Sewer Deaths Expose a Brutal Truth About Discrimination
The deaths of Christian sanitation workers in Pakistan are no longer isolated tragedies. They are part of a deadly pattern that exposes how poverty, discrimination, and official neglect continue to trap an entire community in dangerous work that many others refuse to do. In just over a month, at least six
“He Can’t Even See Their Faces”: A Blind Christian, a Mother’s Plea, and the Cruel Machinery of Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws
On the morning of August 21, a 49-year-old man felt for the edges of a battered weighing scale, the way he did every day, and made his way toward Model Town Park in Lahore. Blind since childhood, Nadeem Masih had found a modest way to live with dignity—charging petty merchants a
Punjab’s Child Marriage Ordinance 2026: A Law on Paper, Not in Reality
Punjab’s government has announced the Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 2026, declaring that the minimum age of marriage is now 18 years for both boys and girls. Child marriage has also been made a non-bailable offence, with punishments of up to seven years in prison and fines reaching Rs1 million. On paper,
Targeted Killings of Christian Minorities in Balochistan Spark Renewed Calls for Protection and Justice
The killings of two young Christian men in Balochistan are not just another tragic headline—they are a stark reminder of how fragile life remains for religious minorities in Pakistan. Ayush Masih, 21, and Domnik Masih, 24, were shot dead by gunmen on motorcycles in Mastung. The attack happened in the Shamsabad
Pakistan Cashes In On EU Trade Perks, While Its Religious Minorities Pay the Price
Pakistan is cashing in on the EU’s GSP+ trade concessions while it fails to honour the core human rights and governance obligations that justify those benefits. Atrocities, discrimination and violence continue at home, yet Pakistan still presents itself as a compliant partner on paper. Since 2014, Pakistan has relied on the
The Devastating Impact of Punjab’s Monsoon Floods on Christian Communities
Severe monsoon rains have once again ravaged the heart of Punjab, leaving behind a wake of destruction that has torn apart over 1,600 villages, claimed more than 1,000 lives, and displaced millions. As floodwaters rise, an already struggling nation finds itself caught in the relentless grip of nature’s fury. The Christian
Christians Are Dying in Pakistan’s Sewer System — Over 70 Lives Lost, Zero Accountability
The Islamabad High Court has blasted the government for allowing decades of deadly neglect in sewer work—an industry where Christians make up more than 80% of the workforce but also nearly 100% of the deaths. Since 1988, over 70 sewer workers have died inside toxic manholes. That’s an average of 2