August 12, 2025
By Shaukat Korai
KARACHI
On the occasion of Pakistan’s National Day of Minorities, the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) organised a discussion in Karachi focusing on issues faced by children from minority communities.
The event was attended by researchers, activists, and representatives from various political and social organizations. On the occasion, the NCRC also launched two research reports highlighting the challenges faced by all children in the country, particularly those belonging to religious minorities.
‘Quaid’s promise to minorities broken’
NCRC Chairperson Ayesha Raza Farooq said that Karachi had been chosen as the venue for the launch because Sindh had the highest population of religious minorities. The reports highlighted several serious problems faced by minority children that require urgent resolution. She said that their situation, it appears that Pakistan was acting contrary to the vows made by the country’s founder, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in his August 11 speech regarding the protection of minority rights. She stressed the need for comprehensive measures to address these challenges.
Sindh home to 1.6m child labourers, half in hazardous work
Researcher Zulfiqar Shah told Voicepk that a recent survey on child labour in Sindh revealed that 1.6 million underage children are engaged in various forms of labor across the province, with half of them working in hazardous sectors.
Calling it an alarming situation, he said that many children were forced into bonded labor in agriculture, domestic work, and brick kilns, with the majority belonging to the “scheduled caste” within religious minorities. He emphasised the need for special educational opportunities, fellowships, and scholarships for such children, noting that while laws and authorities exist, the results remain discouraging.
Joint action by police, child protection, and health authorities needed
Renowned singer and child rights activist Shehzad Roy said that all relevant authorities need to work together.
“When we review the situation, we always find something missing—whether it’s the police, child protection authorities, or the health department. Without joint efforts, there will be no practical results, and we will remain stuck in talk only,” he said.
Pakistan’s global image
Actress and activist Sarwat Gillani, an NCRC ambassador, said that when children, especially from minorities, are treated in such a way, it sends a negative message about Pakistan to the world. “We have allocated a color for minorities in our national flag, but in practice, the situation is the opposite,” she said.
Call for curriculum reform
Social worker Pirbhu Satyani, who is associated with the NCRC, said minority children face multiple issues in schools, including incidents of forced religious conversion. He also stressed the need to reform the curriculum, as the current content negatively affects young minds. The NCRC report noted that such feedback from children was alarming.
According to the NCRC report, minority children face discrimination not only in schools but in daily life, in violation of Pakistan’s Constitution. They are also subjected to bonded labor, forced conversions, and inappropriate social behavior. The report recommended curriculum reforms to address the challenges of minority children, who face the highest levels of discrimination in educational institutions.