Sacred Spaces, Shattered Lives — Time to End the Silence on Madrasa
Abuse
By Liaqat Ali Khoso
The lifeless body of a 12-year-old
boy, allegedly drugged and raped before being killed, was recently
discovered in Tando Allah Yar. The child, a madrasa student entrusted to
a religious institution for spiritual and moral education, met a fate
that no child should ever endure. This is not an isolated incident. It
is part of a disturbing pattern that has shaken the country in general
and Sindh in particularly.
Across Sindh, a series of cases have
been registered in recent months involving sexual abuse of children in
religious seminaries and a few deaths in country. In Karachi's Landhi
area, a Sessions court recently handed down double 15-year sentences to
a cleric for sexually abusing two of his students. In Mirpurkhas, a
faith healer was arrested for allegedly raping two teenage cousins. In
Taxila, a 14-year-old madrasa student was allegedly raped by his
teacher. The list grows longer with each passing week, and each case
represents a child whose innocence was stolen in a place that was meant
to be a sanctuary of faith and learning and in future to serve the
nation in a particular manner. The tragedy of Imran of Tando Allah Yar
is not merely a crime. It is a verdict on our collective failure to
protect the most vulnerable among us. It demands more than outrage. It
demands action.
According to recent reports, at least 2,003 child
sexual abuse cases were registered across Pakistan, with Sindh recording
330 cases. Between 2018 and 2023, over 22,000 cases of child sexual
abuse were reported nationwide. These numbers represent real children,
real lives destroyed, and real perpetrators who continue to operate with
impunity behind the walls of religious institutions. The problem is
compounded by the nature of these institutions themselves. There is no
central authority governing madrasa institution that can investigate or
respond to allegations of abuse. Unlike hierarchical religious bodies
elsewhere, Pakistan's madrasas often operate in isolation, with little
to no oversight from the state functionaries. This vacuum has been
exploited by predators who use the cloak of religious authority to
silence their victims and evade accountability. The surviving victim of
such offence dies each hour of life in the society.
The time has
come for comprehensive and immediate reform. Revolutionary reforms are
demand of the hour. Every madrasa must be required to install standard
CCTV cameras in classrooms, corridors, courtyards, and all other areas
of their premises. The footage must remain operational at all times and
be retained sufficient time. This is not an invasion of privacy, rather
it is a safeguard for children who cannot protect themselves. The Azad
Jammu and Kashmir government has already introduced such a policy. There
is no reason Sindh cannot do the same. The District administrations, in
coordination with education and religious affairs departments, must
conduct unannounced inspections of all religious seminaries. These
inspections should include surprise medical examinations of students by
teams formed under district health officers. Any suspected case must be
reported immediately to the relevant authorities. All teachers and Quran
instructors must possess recognized teaching certificates from
accredited institutions. Their credentials, character, and previous
records must be thoroughly checked before appointment. Those with
questionable backgrounds must not be allowed to teach. Confidential
complaint boxes should be placed in all seminaries, accessible only to
authorized officials. There must be a strict check and balance on
meetings between children and their parents. No child should be denied
access to family members. Regular parent-teacher meetings must be
mandatory, and parents must be given unfettered access to their
children. The leave of molvis and teachers must be properly documented
and monitored to prevent any unsupervised access to students. Children
in madrasas must be taught about their rights, about what constitutes
abuse, and about how to report it. The taboo surrounding sexual abuse
must be broken. We cannot protect children if they do not know they are
being harmed or if they are too afraid to speak. Comprehensive awareness
campaigns addressing assault and sexual harassment are urgently needed.
Those who abuse children in religious institutions will face the full
force of justice. The 2026 Criminal Law Amendments, which insert new
Sections 376B and 297A into the Pakistan Penal Code, creating standalone
offences for custodial and institutional sexual abuse with aggravated
penalties, are a welcome step. But more is needed. Enhances punishment
for religious clerks, teachers, and molvis convicted of sexual abuse,
with minimum sentences that reflect the gravity of betraying a position
of trust. Impose a complete ban and permanent blacklisting of such
individuals from holding any public or private job for life; and Makes
it mandatory for all madrasas to register with the state and submit to
regular audits and inspections. The Madrasa Registration Bill 2024
introduced significant reforms aimed at ensuring transparency and
accountability. It must be enacted and enforced without delay.
Seminaries found violating child protection directives must face legal
action, including suspension or cancellation of registration.
The
devastating impact of child sexual abuse on victims and their families
have been often seen. The psychological scars last a lifetime. The
betrayal of trust by those who are supposed to be guardians of faith and
morality is a sin that cannot be forgiven through mere words. The Senate
Functional Committee on Human Rights has rightly declared that no child
should suffer in the name of education. This is not a political issue.
It is not a religious issue. It is a moral issue that cuts across all
boundaries. Every child in Pakistan, whether in a madrasa, a school, or
any other institution, has the right to safety, dignity, and protection.
The death of Imran in Tando Allah Yar must not be in vain. It must be
the catalyst for change that this country so desperately needs. We owe
it to him, to every child who has suffered in silence, and to every
parent who entrusts their child to an institution of learning, to act
now. The silence must end. The abuse must stop. And justice must
prevail.
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