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Policy Brief: The Illegal Framework for Child Marriage in Pakistan

Child marriage is a significant issue in Pakistan, where according to the UN, Pakistan has the sixth-highest number of child brides in the world. Child marriage has serious consequences for the girls involved, including a higher risk of health problems, domestic violence, and poverty. Girls who are married young are also more likely to drop out of school and have lower literacy rates. Additionally child marriage also has a detrimental effect on the social and economic development of the country as a whole. The government of Pakistan has taken some steps to address the issue of child marriage. Recognising the importance of the issue, the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) issued a Policy Brief on the Legal Framework on Child Marriage in Pakistan in 2022. The Policy Brief discusses Pakistan international human rights legal framework, national and provincial legal framework and case-laws. The Policy Brief also gives detailed recommendations to key statekeholders in addressing the issue of child marriage.

2025 English Policy Briefs and Reports Child Rights

Academic Papers and Research Studies

At the Margins of Protection: Child Labour in Pakistan's Private Sector

At the Margins of Protection: Child Labor in Pakistan’s Private Sector examines the persistence of child labour within Pakistan’s private-sector economy, particularly in informal sectors and lower levels of supply chains where children remain largely outside formal protection and oversight. The report identifies poverty, limited access to education, weak enforcement of labour laws, fragmented data systems, inadequate labour inspection, and poor coordination between federal and provincial institutions as major factors contributing to child labour. It draws on legal and policy reviews, consultations across Pakistan, and interviews with relevant stakeholders. The report highlights that an estimated 8.6 million children are engaged in child labour in Pakistan and emphasizes the hazardous and hidden nature of much of this work. It calls for a coordinated, systems-based response involving stronger labour inspections, improved data systems, harmonized legal standards, education retention, social protection, livelihood support, and greater accountability of private-sector actors.

2026 English Academic Papers and Research Studies Child Rights

Situation Analysis of Child Labour in Punjab

The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) report, Situation Analysis of Child Labor in Punjab, examines the scale, causes, and forms of child labour in Punjab, as well as the legal and policy framework intended to protect children. It identifies poverty, lack of access to education, social and economic pressures, and weak enforcement of labour laws as major factors pushing children into work. The report highlights the vulnerability of children working in sectors such as brick kilns, agriculture, domestic work, and manufacturing, where they may face hazardous conditions, exploitation, abuse, and exclusion from education. It calls for stronger enforcement of child-labour laws, better coordination among government institutions and other stakeholders, improved protection mechanisms, and policies that address the underlying socio-economic causes of child labour.

2024 English Policy Briefs and Reports Child Rights

Costing Study on Child Marriage in Pakistan

This study examines the social and economic costs of child marriage in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Based on research in 10 districts, it investigates how child marriage affects girls’ education, health, employment and labour-force participation, fertility, child mortality, decision-making, and exposure to domestic violence. The report shows that child marriage creates significant private and public economic costs, contributes to poverty and inequality, and reduces women’s opportunities for education and economic participation. It aims to provide evidence for policy reform and stronger measures to prevent and eliminate child marriage in Pakistan.

2020 English Policy Briefs and Reports Child Rights

Hidden in Plain Sight: A study of online child sexual exploitation in Pakistan

The report examines online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) in Pakistan, using the Muzaffargarh case as a key example. It highlights how children are groomed, exploited, recorded, and abused through digital platforms, while weak laws, limited data, poor institutional coordination, and inadequate victim protection allow the problem to persist.

2026 English Policy Briefs and Reports Child Rights