hen Murtaza, a 55-year-old resident of Makoana speaks of the way his daughter was treated, his eyes well up and his voice becomes hoarse.

Four months ago, a woman requested that he send Ayesha, aged 11, with Raheela, a school teacher who resided in Naimat Colony to work at her house as domestic help. Murtaza, who worked as a helper in a local mill, agreed.

“I am underpaid. I wasn’t able to fend for my family. We were going through a tough time. Besides the woman [Raheela] said that Ayesha was an intelligent child who deserved to go to school. She promised she would send her to school and take care of her like her own child,” he says, his voice faltering.

“She told me that she would foot all of Ayesha’s expenses and pay her a stipend of Rs 4,000. I agreed for the sake of my daughter’s future. Had I known she would be treated with cruelty, I would not have agreed,” says the father.

On the night of February 26, Raheela and her brother suddenly arrived at Murtaza’s house and told him that Ayesha was unwell and undergoing treatment at the District Headquarters Hospital (Allied II).

According to Murtaza, Raheela and her brother asked him to let the matter go. They also tried to offer him some money which he refused. “When I insisted on seeing my daughter, they took me to the hospital. She was there. She was dead. Some of her bones were broken. Her body was covered in bruises,” says Murtaza.

Madina Town police were informed by the hospital administration and an FIR was registered on the same day against Fazl-ur Rehman, her sisters Sunila Tufail and Raheela, on the charge of killing 11-year-old Ayesha.

According to the post-mortem report, 18 scars were found on various parts of Ayesha’s body. Some of those were two or three days old. Head Constable Tariq Munir, who was the first to reach the hospital after receiving the report of the murder, said that as soon as they saw the condition of the girl, he realised that she had been subjected to severe torture. “I have young children too. It is heart-wrenching to think that a girl so young could be tortured in such a cruel way that she should lose her life,” says the policeman.

Investigating officer of the case, Inspector Inayat Ali, says that the three suspects were arrested and are currently on physical remand. He says samples have been sent to the Punjab Forensic Science Authority to determine the cause of Ayesha’s death.

“During the investigation, the accused called the girl’s death an accident. Later they claimed that she had some allergies. It is a straightforward case of death by violence. However, the doctors have sought an opinion from the PFSA due to which we are unable to proceed further with the investigation,” says the officer.

According to Ali, other senior officers of Faisalabad police, including the city police officer, are monitoring the investigation of this case themselves and will make sure that the culprits are held accountable.

Faisalabad police spokesperson Inspector Malik Shahid says that the police do not have separate records of physical and sexual violence against children. Nor does the Police Department have a separate wing to control crimes against children.

“Police are trying to take immediate legal action against the perpetrators of crimes against children and punish them severely but the heirs frequently agree to settle in such cases,” says Shahid.

Child Protection and Welfare Bureau Faisalabad District Officer Robina Iqbal says that the mandate of her department is to rescue neglected and destitute children and teach them skills in addition to providing housing, education and health cover so that they can live a dignified life when they grow up.

“Our organisation provides legal assistance in addition to rescuing children after receiving a complaint of sexual or physical violence against them. However, taking measures to prevent violence or crimes against children is the primary responsibility of the police,” she says.

“Child Protection and Welfare Bureau rescues about 1,200 to 1,500 children from across the Punjab every year and takes measures for their rehabilitation and protection,” says Iqbal.

Tragically, Ayesha’s case is not an isolated incident. Numerous other children in Faisalabad have fallen victim to violence and abuse.

Earlier, in October last year, a seven-year-old girl was killed after being sexually assaulted in Dijkot. In March 2023, a ten-year-old domestic servant boy was strangled by the landlord in a house in Gulbarg Colony.

Maria Hussain, a child psychologist specialising in the psychological rehabilitation of children rescued by the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, has pointed out potential reasons for the surge in violence against children in Faisalabad, citing unemployment, rising poverty rates, and low literacy levels as contributing factors.

“Faisalabad, being an industrial hub, attracts migrants from various regions in search of employment opportunities. Consequently, there’s a notable prevalence of child labour and domestic work, which may lead to a higher incidence of violence against children,” she says.

She stresses the importance of a thorough investigation by relevant institutions to identify the root causes behind the increasing violence in Faisalabad and address them effectively.

A study conducted by economist Prof Dr Rana Ejaz Ali Khan in 2003 on child labour in Faisalabad and Pakpattan had corroborated the alarming prevalence of child labour in Faisalabad.

The study highlighted poverty, inadequate income, domestic conflicts, insufficient healthcare facilities and malnutrition as key factors driving the prevalence of child labour.

“Child labourers are particularly vulnerable to violence, often stemming from households where decision-making is skewed or mothers have limited influence over sending children to school.”

A recent report by Sahil, a non-governmental organisation working to prevent violence and crimes against children, highlights an alarming trend. It says there have been 888 reported cases of child violence in the past year alone.

Apart from this, 496 cases of violence against children were reported in Rawalpindi, 382 in Kasur, 306 in Islamabad, 266 in Sialkot, 169 in Gujranwala, 151 in Lahore, 104 in Sargodha, 84 in Rahim Yar Khan and 82 in Khairpur.

According to this report, a total of 4,213 children were subjected to sexual and physical violence in the year 2023, including 2251 boys and 1962 girls. Out of them, 2,021 children were sexually abused and 61 children were killed after being raped. Also, out of 286 children killed in various incidents, 121 were subjected to severe physical violence.

Manizeh Bano, executive director of Sahil, emphasises the urgent need for legislative reforms and societal awareness to combat child abuse. She underscores the importance of education and psychological support in safeguarding children from exploitation. “No notified national action plan has yet been prepared for the prevention of child abuse in Pakistan,” says Bano.

“Incidents of physical and sexual violence against children are increasing. This situation demands that necessary legislation and serious measures be taken to prevent such incidents.”

According to Bano, under Article 25A of the constitution, education from five to 16 years of age is free, yet Pakistan has the second largest population of out of school children in the world.

“There is an urgent need to improve the curricula to provide education relevant to life skills to protect children from all kinds of exploitation,” she says.

Ayesha Raza Farooq, chairperson of the National Commission on the Rights of the Child, echoes these sentiments, calling for enhanced legal and institutional mechanisms to protect vulnerable children.

She says that the NCRC is working to improve legal and institutional mechanisms to prevent violence against children so that children can reach their full potential.

“Under Section 15F of the NCRC Act, 2017, our mandate entails preventing physical and sexual violence, abuse, exploitation and trafficking of children. While we diligently forward recommendations to both federal and provincial authorities, it’s crucial to note that we lack the authority to pursue legal action against institutions or individuals.”

Despite ongoing advocacy efforts, Pakistan’s progress in child protection remains inadequate, warranting urgent action to achieve global objectives under SDG 16.2 by 2030.

The tragic fate of Ayesha is a stark reminder of the pervasive threat of violence against children and the collective responsibility to safeguard the children.

The writer has been associated with journalism for the past decade. He tweets @ naeemahmad876