The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called for stronger child protection measures to address the growing concern of online sexual abuse involving children, highlighting the need for improved institutional coordination, enhanced safeguards, and greater accountability across relevant agencies. In its latest report, the commission stated that online child sexual abuse should be recognized not only as a cybercrime issue but also as a serious violation of children’s fundamental rights, dignity, and safety. HRCP emphasized that many incidents remain unreported because of limited reporting mechanisms, coordination challenges among institutions, and gaps in existing child protection systems, making it difficult for affected children to receive timely support and justice.
According to the report, one of the cases referenced involved an incident reported in Muzaffargarh during 2025, where at least 50 children, including some as young as six years old, were allegedly subjected to sexual exploitation through an international network. The commission also cited data from the United States based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which indicated that reports associated with suspected child sexual abuse material originating from Pakistan exceeded two million in 2021. HRCP clarified that these figures represented reports of suspected online activity rather than the number of individual victims. The report stressed that the scale of reported online activity demonstrates the importance of strengthening preventive measures, improving reporting processes, and ensuring that institutions have the capacity to respond effectively to such cases.
HRCP recommended stronger collaboration among child protection authorities, police, cybercrime investigators, prosecutors, and the judiciary to improve investigations and ensure accountability through appropriate legal processes. It also highlighted the importance of providing affected children with legal assistance, psychological care, rehabilitation services, and other forms of long term support. The commission stated that awareness campaigns remain valuable but should be accompanied by stronger institutional mechanisms, better coordination among public sector organizations, and greater responsibility from digital platforms to help create a safer online environment for children. The report noted that protecting children in digital spaces requires a coordinated approach involving government institutions, technology platforms, law enforcement agencies, and civil society organizations.
The commission’s recommendations align with findings published earlier by the National Commission on the Rights of the Child in collaboration with UNICEF Pakistan. That report estimated that approximately 1.5 million internet using children between the ages of 12 and 17 in Pakistan experienced online sexual exploitation and abuse during a single year. It examined the nature and scale of online exploitation, the experiences of children and caregivers, perspectives shared by frontline professionals, and existing gaps within Pakistan’s legal and institutional response framework. HRCP stated that strengthening child protection mechanisms, enhancing institutional accountability, and expanding support services are essential steps toward improving online safety for children while ensuring that digital spaces become more secure, responsive, and protective of children’s rights.
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