The News on Sunday did the last Special Report on child sexual abuse in August 2015, about two and a half years ago. It was soon after the scandal involving pornographic videos of children came out, also in Kasur. The title of our report was "Breaking the Silence". There was sincere editorial advice, to the state and society, parents and children,  media and policy makers. And here we are again, facing Kasur, Mardan and everywhere else in the country, with all advice seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

If Kasur in 2015 was not the transformational moment that it seemed at the time, can Kasur and Mardan, of Zainab and Asma, become one in 2018?

Without for a moment losing sense of proportion of these unwarranted tragedies, can we hope that anything like this never happens to the children  in this country again?

In today’s Special Report, there are reports from Kasur itself and KP that only reinforce that the problem is not area specific. We have tried to steer clear of populist demands, seeking vigilante justice and focused on solution, from various standpoints. In realising the need to stay vigilant about children, there is the need to be mindful we don’t scare them too much. The police must be allowed to do its work in due course with all sincerity.

Hope there is no need to do another such Special Report in the times to come.

Read also: A child’s many rights