BY: Waheed M Khan/ANI
ISLAMABAD–Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri chaired a meeting of the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights at Parliament House, where members reviewed child protection measures, digital safety protocols and labour welfare safeguards across the country.
The meeting was attended by Senators Aimal Wali Khan, Qurat ul Ain Marri, Hafiz Abdul Karim, Atta ul Haq and Masroor Hussain, along with the Secretary Ministry of Human Rights and relevant officials from ICT, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
The committee expressed serious concern over the low conviction rate in child abuse cases in KP, the absence of a provincial forensic science laboratory and weaknesses in the enforcement of child protection laws. Officials reported that 625 cases had been registered in KP, with 576 processed and more than 300 referred for trial, while the conviction rate remained approximately 6 per cent.
The Director General Child Protection briefed the committee on the reported rise in peer-to-peer child abuse involving minors exposed to explicit adult content at home. According to the briefing, 855 cases were reported in KP during 2025, while more than 17,000 cases were reported nationwide.
Senator Aimal Wali Khan questioned the unresolved child abuse cases in Punjab despite the availability of specialised forensic laboratories and criticised procedural loopholes and weak investigation reports. The committee also took serious notice of the alleged non-reporting of a child abuse case involving a four-year-old survivor associated with Westminster School, Islamabad, and recommended strict action against educational institutions failing to implement child protection policies.
The committee directed KP officials to submit the exact terms of reference governing community-level child protection units and decided to undertake an oversight visit to Balochistan.
During a briefing on online safety, PTA officials explained the authority's enforcement powers under Section 37 of PECA and acknowledged technical difficulties in preventing automated pop-up adult advertisements. The committee directed the PTA to revise its standard operating procedures in line with parliamentary guidelines.
The forum also reviewed the suicide of a Gujranwala Waste Management Company worker allegedly facing salary delays and employer misconduct. The committee directed the DIG Investigations to probe procedural lapses and submit a comprehensive report at the next meeting.
Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri directed the Secretary Ministry of Human Rights to ensure that provincial representatives attending parliamentary meetings were fully prepared and submitted complete, verified documentation.
