Pak panel seeks strong action to protect children from abuse at seminaries, schools

Islamabad, Sep 21 (PTI) A Pakistan parliamentary panel urged strong action to protect children from abuse at seminaries and schools, saying that no child should suffer in the name of education, according to a media report.  The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, under the chair of Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, met on Thursday to review disturbing reports of corporal punishment, torture, and sexual abuse at religious seminaries across Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtun­khwa, reported Dawn on Friday.

Officials from federal and provincial departments briefed the committee on steps taken to address the issue.

Senator Zehri stressed that the state’s foremost responsibility was to protect children. She clarified that the aim was not to target legitimate religious institutions but to eliminate abuse through oversight and accountability.  She expressed concern over the lack of proper registration, financial transparency, and monitoring of these institutions.

She called for strict measures, including regular inspections of seminaries, mandatory parent-teacher engagement, teacher training on child protection, and a ban on corporal punishment.  She also highlighted alarmingly low conviction rates in reported cases, warning that without prosecution and deterrence, the cycle of abuse would continue unchecked.

Senator Aimal Wali Khan added that many seminaries had turned into revenue-generating systems instead of being integrated into the national education framework. He pushed for legislation to ensure transparency and bring seminaries under mainstream education boards.

Other members recommended district-level monitoring and harmonised provincial laws to safeguard children, reported Dawn.

Pakistan has more than 35,000 religious seminaries where tens of thousands get religious education, according to the official data. PTI SH RD RD