July 30, 2025
By Aitzaz Ibrahim
LAHORE
A 12-year-old student was allegedly subjected to sexual assault in the Lassan Nawab area of Mansehra district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The accused cleric, Qari Sajjad, from the madrassa, has been arrested, while police have registered a case on the complaint of the child’s father and begun investigations.
According to details, Ayaz, a resident of Bai Kalan, lodged a report at Lassan Nawab Police Station, stating that his 12/13-year-old son is studying at Madrassa Siraj-ul-Uloom. Two days ago, when the child returned home from the madrassa as per routine, he complained of severe pain in his back. Upon questioning and insistence by the parents, the child revealed that two weeks ago, Qari Sajjad Ahmed from the madrassa took him from the madrassa to his house and allegedly assaulted him in his drawing room. According to the child, he was forcibly kept in the madrassa after the incident and managed to escape and return home when he got the opportunity.
On the complaint of the affected child’s father, police registered a case. According to the FIR lodged at Lassan Nawab Police Station, Qari Sajjad not only sexually assaulted the child but also kept him detained at the madrassa for two weeks. The FIR has been registered under Section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which relates to the serious offense of sexual assault.
Police, acting on the complaint, have arrested the accused Sajjad. Police officials stated that interrogation of the accused is underway and medical reports along with other evidence are being collected.
This is not the first incident of its kind where a student studying at a madrassa has been subjected to sexual assault. Incidents of sexual abuse and violence against children studying in madrassas are being reported repeatedly.
A similar incident occurred on July 22 in the village of Chilyar, in Tehsil Khwazakhela of Swat district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where a 14-year-old student named Farhan, who had returned to the madrassa after a break, allegedly died due to violence by his teachers. Farhan was allegedly beaten to death by his madrassa teacher Qari Muhammad Umar and Umar’s son Ehsanullah. According to Farhan’s grandfather, the boy was hesitant to return to the madrassa and claimed, “They beat me and demand sexual acts.”
On July 10, in the Khanpur Tehsil of Haripur district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a teacher was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a five-year-old blind student. The incident occurred in the Bhandha area, where the victim’s family formally lodged a complaint at the Saddar Police Station.
On July 15, in the village of Baqar Shah in Alipur Tehsil of Muzaffargarh city in Punjab, two teachers from the religious seminary Taj-ul-Uloom were arrested on charges of allegedly repeatedly sexually assaulting three underage children. According to the complainant, he had enrolled his three nephews, aged 11 and 12, at the seminary for memorization of the Quran three months ago. Upon returning, the children revealed that the two teachers allegedly sexually assaulted them for three months and also threatened them with dire consequences if they disclosed the abuse. Police registered a case and arrested both accused individuals, against whom legal proceedings are ongoing.
Rising sexual crimes against children
According to the latest statistics released by the non-governmental organization Sahil, which works for children’s rights, a total of 1,956 cases of child abuse and violence were reported across the country in the first half of 2025. Of these, 950 cases were related to sexual abuse of children during the first six months of the year.
The report also stated that from January to June, 605 cases of child abduction were registered. Similarly, 192 cases of missing children were reported across the country, while this year, 34 cases of child marriages or vani were also recorded.
In addition, 62 cases were reported where newborn babies were found dead or alive at different locations. Among the reported cases, 1,019 victims — that is, 52% — were girls, while 875 victims — that is, 44% — were boys.