A Pakistani parliamentary committee has issued a strong call for immediate and decisive action to safeguard children from abuse within the nation’s religious seminaries and conventional schools. The panel unequivocally stated that no child should ever endure suffering in the pursuit of education.
Under the leadership of Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights recently convened to examine deeply troubling reports. These included widespread instances of corporal punishment, torture, and sexual abuse occurring in religious educational institutions across Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. During the meeting, officials from various federal and provincial departments presented information on the steps currently underway to address these critical issues.
Senator Zehri emphasized that the state bears the ultimate responsibility for protecting its children. She clarified that the committee’s intention was not to target or undermine legitimate religious institutions, but rather to systematically eliminate abuse through rigorous oversight and accountability. She expressed significant concern over the prevalent lack of proper registration, financial transparency, and adequate monitoring of these institutions.
The Senator advocated for the immediate implementation of strict measures. These include regular, unannounced inspections of seminaries, mandatory parent-teacher engagement, comprehensive training for teachers on child protection protocols, and an absolute prohibition on all forms of corporal punishment. Furthermore, she drew attention to the alarmingly low conviction rates in reported abuse cases, warning that without effective prosecution and robust legal deterrents, the cycle of violence against children would tragically persist unchecked.
Senator Aimal Wali Khan contributed to the discussion by highlighting a critical issue: many seminaries, he noted, have regrettably transformed into revenue-generating systems instead of focusing on their core educational mission and integrating into the national education framework. He strongly urged for new legislation that would ensure greater transparency and bring these religious institutions under the purview of mainstream education boards.
Other committee members offered further recommendations, including the establishment of district-level monitoring mechanisms and the harmonization of existing provincial laws to create a more consistent and effective framework for child protection. According to official government data, Pakistan is home to over 35,000 religious seminaries, which provide religious instruction to hundreds of thousands of students nationwide.