CAN Pakistan (Children Advocacy Network) @Can4Children

Child sexual abuse cannot be prevented through awareness campaigns alone. Lasting change requires child protection to move beyond short-term projects and become a permanent public policy priority backed by strong institutions, safeguarding, and sustained investment. Read the latest op-ed by SFJ Executive Director @IftikharMubarik in The News on Sunday: thenews.pk/tns/detail/142… #ChildProtection #ChildRights #Safeguarding #PreventChildAbuse #Pakistan @UNICEF_Pakistan @arigatou_ecp @ArigatouGNRC @nhrf_hrd @WHOPakistan @Hadiqa_Kiani @SalmaHashmi @SwedenAmbPK @BeBraveGlobal @UNChildRights1

The reported rise in HIV-positive children in Larkana is deeply concerning. We urge the Government of Sindh to investigate the causes, strengthen prevention and safe healthcare practices, and ensure uninterrupted testing, treatment and care for every affected child. Protecting children from preventable health risks is a fundamental child rights obligation. #ChildRights #PublicHealth #Sindh dawn.com/news/2014944 @SindhCMHouse @SindhChild @MuradAliShahPPP @AseefaBZ @SHRC_official @nchrofficial @NCRC_Pakistan @AzraPechuho

What if some of the things we believe about child sexual abuse are actually putting children at greater risk? In her latest op-ed for PolicyInsight.pk, Rashida Qureshi challenges five common myths that continue to shape public understanding of child sexual abuse and explains why replacing assumptions with evidence is essential to better protecting children. 🔗 Read the full article: policyinsight.pk/2026/07/03/fiv… #ChildProtection #ChildRights #ChildSexualAbuse #Safeguarding #ProtectEveryChild @RashadaQureshi @UNICEF_Pakistan @SarahAhmad_CPWB @TararAttaullah @AyeshaRaza13 @kpcpwc @SindhChild @UN_EndViolence @UNChildRights1 @ArigatouGNRC @FriehaAltaf @NJLahori @anjamyrtveit @cyclestand4

Pakistan no longer lacks evidence on child labour. Surveys across the country estimate that 8.6 million children are engaged in child labour. The challenge today is not understanding the problem, but translating knowledge into coordinated action, accountability, and results. My latest op-ed in The News on Sunday explores why progress remains limited despite growing evidence and policy commitments. thenews.pk/tns/detail/142… #ChildLabour #ChildRights #Pakistan @GovtofPunjabPK @GovernmentKP @SindhCMHouse @dpr_gob @GovtofPakistan @mohrpakistan @NCRC_Pakistan @nchrofficial @UNICEF_Pakistan @UNDP_Pakistan @Freedom_Fund @ilo @punjablabour

Participated in a Budget Literacy Workshop organized by the Parliamentary Development Unit of the Punjab Assembly with support from UNICEF and UNFPA. The session offered valuable insights into the provincial budget cycle, public financial management, and the role of legislators in ensuring effective and accountable use of public resources. For those working on child rights and social policy, understanding budgets is essential, as policy commitments only translate into meaningful change when backed by adequate public investment. #BudgetLiteracy #PublicFinance #PunjabAssembly #ChildRights @UNFPAPakistan @UNICEF_Pakistan @MalikMAhmadKhan

Pleased to contribute to the discussion on positive parenting and Early Childhood Development during #ParentingMonth2026. While play is often discussed as a tool for learning and development, it is equally important to recognize it as a child's right under Article 31 of the UNCRC. Realizing this right requires supportive parents, child-friendly environments, and enabling public policies. #RightToPlay #ChildRights #PositiveParenting #ECD @UNICEF_Pakistan @GovtofPunjabPK

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The reported death of a 12-year-old child in a seminary in Bahawalpur is deeply disturbing. dawn.com/news/amp/20087… We appreciate the prompt action taken to detain the suspects and initiate an investigation. It is essential that the facts are established through a transparent and impartial process and that accountability is ensured where wrongdoing is found. This tragic incident also underscores the importance of strengthening child safeguarding and protection measures in all institutions responsible for the care, education, and wellbeing of children. #ChildProtection #ChildRights #AccessToJustice #Pakistan @cpwbpunjab @SarahAhmad_CPWB @NCRC_Pakistan @GovtofPunjabPK @FriehaAltaf @NJLahori @Miqdadnaqvi @OfficialDPRPP @dawn_com @NidaUsmanCh

Data is only the starting point. What matters is whether institutions can use it to track cases, coordinate responses, monitor outcomes, and ensure that children receive protection, support, and justice. My op-ed explores why fragmented responses to child sexual abuse continue to undermine accountability and what must change to strengthen child protection systems. thenews.pk/tns/detail/141… #ChildProtection #ChildRights #Governance #AccessToJustice @NCRC_Pakistan @mohrpakistan @nchrofficial @cpwbpunjab @kpcpwc @SindhChild @dpr_gob @UNICEF_Pakistan @ArigatouGNRC @UN_EndViolence @SRakotomalala

8.61 million children in Pakistan are engaged in child labour. Behind every statistic is a child whose childhood and future are at risk. My latest op-ed: policyinsight.pk/2026/06/11/the… #ChildLabour #Pakistan @gtonstol @NCRC_Pakistan @UNICEF_Pakistan @SFJPK @Freedom_Fund @BaelaJamil

Honoured to contribute as a panelist at the British Council's dialogue on the #SchoolSafeguarding Framework for Punjab. Policies matter, but implementation matters more. Safe schools require trained teachers, child-friendly reporting mechanisms, institutional accountability, and meaningful child participation. #ChildProtection #ChildRights #SafeSchools #Punjab @pkBritish

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On #WorldDayAgainstChildLabour, I joined Pakistan Television's morning show with Juggan Kazim to discuss the urgent challenge of child labour in Pakistan. Every child deserves education, protection, and a safe childhood—not exploitation and labour. Children belong in schools, not workplaces. #EndChildLabour #ChildRights #ChildProtection #EducationForAll #Pakistan @PTVHomeOfficial

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Strengthening child rights governance requires stronger coordination, accountability, and implementation mechanisms at the provincial level. Under the @EUPakistan 🇪🇺 funded #HuqooqePakistanII project, #UNDPinPakistan partnered with @sfjpk to host a provincial briefing on the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s Concluding Observations to Pakistan at the Shaista Ikramullah Human Rights Education Centre in Lahore. Bringing together CSOs, academia, statutory bodies and government partners, the briefing aimed to support dialogue on implementation challenges, strengthen coordination pathways, and identify practical entry points for advancing #ChildRights protection in Punjab.

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🛡️Protecting children requires more than policy commitments. It requires dedicated budget allocations. 🏛️ Federal and provincial governments should introduce dedicated budget lines for child protection, case management, referral systems, and inter-agency coordination. ⚖️ Without sustained financing, even strong protection frameworks fail at implementation. 📚 Investing in children is an investment in human development, social stability, and Pakistan’s future. #ChildProtection #Budget2026 #ChildRights #PublicPolicy #Pakistan @dpr_gob @GovernmentKP @GovtofPunjabPK @GovtofPakistan @CMShehbaz @MaryamNSharif @MuradAliShahPPP @PakSarfrazbugti @KPChiefMinister @CS_Punjab @nchrofficial @NCRC_Pakistan @mohrpakistan

Better awareness and stronger engagement of civil society and human rights defenders can improve the effectiveness of human rights institutions. A workshop in Lahore called for a Campus-Based Human Rights Ambassador Programme to strengthen youth engagement. #HumanRights

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On #InternationalWomensDay, Search for Justice reaffirms that protecting the rights of women and girls is central to building just and inclusive societies. Ending violence, expanding opportunities, and ensuring equal participation must remain a national priority. #IWD2026

Pakistan has strengthened laws and institutions for children over the years, yet many concerns continue to repeat across UN review cycles. In my latest op-ed in The News on Sunday, I argue that the real challenge is no longer commitment, but implementation — building systems that ensure coordination, monitoring, and sustained follow-through across federal and provincial levels. Child rights implementation is ultimately a public policy and governance challenge. Read here: thenews.pk/tns/detail/140… #ChildRights #Pakistan #Governance #CRC @UNICEF_Pakistan @mohrpakistan @AzamNazeerTarar @EUPakistan @AusHCPak @NorwayinPak @SwedenAmbPK @SwissAmbPak @GermanyinPAK @anjamyrtveit @BrAqeelMalik @AyeshaRaza13 @RabiyaJaveri @nchrofficial @kpcpwc @SindhChild @bohotsaara @SarahAhmad_CPWB @dpr_gob @ChildRightsCnct @UNChildRights1 @ArigatouGNRC

Search for Justice welcomes the notification of the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 2026, establishing 18 years as the minimum legal age of marriage for both girls and boys. Child marriage is now a cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable offence in Punjab. An important legislative step — effective implementation will be key. #ChildRights #EndChildMarriage #Punjab #ChildProtection @UNICEF_Pakistan @CRCAsia @UNChildRights1 @WomenDeliver @Malala @MalalaFundPK @JaneMarriottUK

Punjab has notified the Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 2026, establishing 18 years as the minimum legal age of marriage for both girls and boys. The law declares child marriage a cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable offence, with enhanced penalties and provisions addressing child abuse and trafficking linked to child marriage. An important step. Implementation will be key. #ChildRights #EndChildMarriage #Punjab @GovtofPunjabPK @SarahAhmad_CPWB @AyeshaRaza13 @NCRC_Pakistan @nchrofficial @MaryamNSharif @RabiyaJaveri @NCSWPakistan

In my op-ed, Protecting Children Online Without Excluding Them, I argue that children’s online safety is a child protection obligation — not a ban-first response. Children face real online harms, but blanket bans risk pushing them into unregulated spaces while shifting responsibility away from platforms and governments. What’s needed is regulation, platform accountability, privacy-by-design, and child-centred digital safety frameworks — not exclusion. thenews.pk/tns/detail/139… #ChildRights #OnlineSafety #DigitalRights #ChildProtection #Pakistan @NCRC_Pakistan @AyeshaRaza13 @cpwbpunjab @WeProtect @IWFhotline @ShSenGupta @SarahAhmad_CPWB @kpcpwc @SindhChild @mohrpakistan @AzamNazeerTarar @nchrofficial @EUPakistan

My latest op-ed in The Friday Times, “Invisible Children, Inconvenient Truths,” examines the sexual exploitation of children in street situations in light of the UN Special Rapporteur’s report and broader accountability challenges within child protection systems. I hope it contributes to ongoing reflection on how commitments can translate into real protection for the most marginalised children. 🔗 thefridaytimes.com/20-Jan-2026/in… #ChildRights #UNCRC #HumanRights #Accountability @MamaFatimaS @streetchildren @ArigatouGNRC @UNICEF_Pakistan @NCRC_Pakistan @cpwbpunjab @kpcpwc @SindhChild @dpr_gob @dureakram @anjamyrtveit @ChildRightsCnct @UNChildRights1 @UN_EndViolence @SRakotomalala

The Friday Times @TFT_

7 months ago

Ending child exploitation means seeing, counting, and protecting those living and working in streets, not punishing them. By Iftikhar Mubarik @IftikharMubarik Read more: thefridaytimes.com/20-Jan-2026/in… #ChildProtection #ViolenceAgainstChildren #Children #HumanRights #ChildRights

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