Archives
International Day to End Corporal Punishment of Children
30 April marks the International Day to End Corporal Punishment, a global moment to advocate for the protection of children from violent and harmful disciplinary practices. Corporal punishment remains the most prevalent form of violence against children, occurring in homes, schools, juvenile justice centres, and alternative care settings. Despite decades of research proving that corporal punishment has no positive outcomes only causing long-term physical, cognitive, and emotional harm an alarming 86% of the world’s 2.2 billion children are not fully protected by law. Legal reform is essential to ending this practice; it not only prohibits violence but also shifts societal attitudes toward non-violent, positive childrearing.
In Pakistan, SPARC has been at the forefront of advocacy efforts to eliminate corporal punishment. SPARC has consistently engaged with lawmakers and civil society, organized awareness campaigns, conducted trainings for teachers and caregivers, and published research highlighting the harmful impacts of violent disciplinary practices. While provinces like Sindh have made progress by prohibiting corporal punishment in schools, day care, and penal institutions, significant legal gaps remain. Corporal punishment is still permitted in many homes, non-government schools, and care settings, and outdated legal provisions such as Article 89 of the Penal Code continue to offer legal defences for violence. Similar provisions exist in several provincial child protection laws. These laws must be amended or repealed to ensure full protection for all children. Prohibition must also extend to judicial corporal punishment, including under Shari’a and traditional legal systems. To truly end corporal punishment, Pakistan must enact comprehensive legal reform and promote non-violent methods of raising and educating children.
Adopted children face uncertain futures
Despite the increasing number of abandoned children placed in the care of childless couples, Pakistan still lacks formal legislation on adoption. This legal vacuum leaves adopted children vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, neglect, trafficking, and even cybercrime. Girls are particularly at risk, making up 59% of reported abuse cases. In just the first six months of 2024, 1,630 cases of child abuse were reported nationwide, including 862 cases of sexual abuse. Meanwhile, cyber child pornography cases have surged by 336% in Punjab over the past six years, reflecting the alarming scale of the crisis.
WHO Calls for Action to Save Mothers, Newborns in Pakistan
675 babies under one month old and 27 mothers die every day in Pakistan due to preventable complications. This alarming number translates into over 9,800 maternal deaths and 246,300 newborn deaths annually. WHO urges urgent global investment to save mothers and newborns in Pakistan.
Right to children's identity in Pakistan
The right to legal identity for children is internationally recognised, and Pakistan has committed to uphold this right as a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Despite laws and policies, millions of Pakistani children lack legal identity, denying them access to education, healthcare, and protection. A coordinated, multi-sectoral response is essential to close this gap and uphold child rights.
Sindhnet initial consultative meeting with CSOs
SPARC participated in the alongside representatives from SPO, Indus Consortium, CSSP, Muslim Aid, CPDI, and HANDS.
The discussion focused on fostering an enabling environment within the CSO network to strengthen collaboration and advocacy.
Kitchen Gardening Drive
SPARC, in collaboration with Sunbeams (NGO), students from and Arid Agriculture University under the col4dempowerwomen (EWG) initiative, has launched a Kitchen Gardening Drive. Through this program, community women will receive hands-on training, be provided with plants and resources to establish their own kitchen gardens, and will be monitored and supported throughout the process to ensure successful implementation.
SPARC Highlights Impact of FED Hike on Cigarette Consumption and Tax Revenue
SPARC and the Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC) have urged the government to increase the Federal Excise Duty (FED) on cigarettes by Rs. 39 per pack in the upcoming fiscal year.
Global Efforts to End Corporal Punishment Gain Momentum
For the first time in over 75 years, corporal punishment has been recognized as a major public health issue within the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Landmark Case That Gave Children a Voice
50 Afghan Children Repatriated via Torkham on Humanitarian Grounds
Pakistani authorities repatriated 50 Afghan children, including 17 girls, through the Torkham border on humanitarian grounds.
Seven Year-Old Sarim’s Kidnap and Murder
Seven-year-old Mohammed Sarim went missing on January 7, 2025, after leaving for a madrassa located within his apartment complex in Karachi.
Child Domestic Labor (CDL)
In a case of child domestic labor (CDL), 13-year-old Iqra lost her life after being brutally tortured by her employers in Rawalpindi.
Juvenile Custodial Death
A 13-year-old boy, Suleman, allegedly died while in police custody. His family has accused the police of severe torture and is demanding justice.
COL-EWG Partner Countries Study Visit to Pakistan
From February 18 to 28, 2025, the Empowering Women and Girls (EWG) initiative by Commonwealth of learning (COL), in collaboration with SPARC and Bedari, hosted a 10-day study visit.
Seminar on Empowering Women & Girls
SPARC, in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning, and Bedari, hosted an international seminar under the Empowering Women and Girls (EWG) initiative on February 26-27, 2025, in Islamabad.
Dialogue with EU Envoy on Child Rights
SPARC, along with other civil society organizations and human rights defenders, recently engaged in a constructive dialogue with Ambassador Olof Skoog, the European Union’s Special Representative for Human Rights, during his visit to Islamabad.
Pakistan Failing its Children: A Crisis in Health, Education, & Welfare
When a country’s children go hungry, its future withers. Pakistan faces alarming challenges in ensuring the welfare of its children, with 40pc malnourished.
Child Domestic Labor (CDL)
In a case of child domestic labor (CDL), 13-year-old Iqra lost her life after being brutally tortured by her employers in Rawalpindi.
Justice in Jeopardy: Fatima Furiro's Mother Withdraws Case
10-year-old Fatima Furiro, who was brutally tortured and murdered at the residence of Pir Asad Shah Jeelani in Ranipur, Sindh.
Committee formed to review foreign funding received by NGOs
The federal cabinet has notified the formation of a committee to review foreign funding received by both international and domestic nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), it emerged on Wednesday.
‘Monsoon brides’: Extreme weather fuels child marriages in Sindh
As monsoon rains were about to break over Pakistan, 14-year-old Shamila and her 13-year-old sister Amina were married off in exchange for money, a decision their parents made to help the family survive the threat of floods.
Protecting children
Undoubtedly, the time to identify and plug the many glitches in social protection policies, such as the easy provision of birth certificates for newborns, is now. Without a basic databank of children, all measures by the state are doomed to fail.
Man Accused of Molesting Schoolgirls
Imran, the husband of a teacher at a non-formal education school in Gujranwala, Pakistan, was arrested for sexually abusing multiple young female students over several years. He used his position running a canteen at the school to exploit the victims aged 11-14.
KP's Climate Vulnerable Children
The province has borne the brunt of climate change over the past decade, and it has proven devastating for children who are often missed by those making policies and those taking action for disaster risk reduction
Pakistan reports 50th polio case of the year
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has recorded its 50th polio case of the year, with the latest victim being a 20-month-old girl from Mullazai Union Council in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district.
2.2m students enrolled in madrassas
ISLAMABAD: The total number of registered religious madrassas across the country is 17,738, with 2,249,520 students enrolled, stated the Ministry of Education as it submitted details of religious seminaries to the Senate.
SPARC's Retreat in Murree
SPARC recently organized a three-day annual retreat, bringing together team members from all four districts and the head office for a series of impactful training sessions and workshops.
Dialogue on Tobacco Control Strategies
SPARC hosted a two-day dialogue from January 18th–19th, 2025, focused on addressing the rising tobacco consumption among youth and the urgent need for effective tobacco control strategies.
Dialogue with EU Envoy on Child Rights
SPARC, along with other civil society organizations and human rights defenders, recently engaged in a constructive dialogue with Ambassador Olof Skoog, the European Union’s Special Representative for Human Rights, during his visit to Islamabad.
