In the fertile heart of Pakistan’s Punjab, where fields promise life and continuity, a quieter, harsher reality persists. According to the Bureau of Statistics, 15% of children here are married before they turn 18. Behind that number are not just statistics, but stolen childhoods—girls pulled from classrooms into lives they never […]
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 […]
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, […]