Summary
- ISLAMABAD : No new government notification on child online safety was issued in the last 24 hours, but pressure to implement the Safe Scroll commitments continues to build.
- *THE 5-POINT AGENDA: WHAT WAS PROMISED VS WHAT IS DONE* The agenda was finalized on October 12 during an 8-hour Safe Scroll Dialogue at Mövenpick Islamabad, attended by the Ministry of Human Rights, Child Protection Bureau Punjab, UNICEF and UNFPA: 1.
- *PUNJAB CHILD PROTECTION BUREAU* On the directions of Chairperson Sarah Ahmed, *16 children were rescued* from an unregistered orphanage in Multan and taken into protective custody.
ISLAMABAD : No new government notification on child online safety was issued in the last 24 hours, but pressure to implement the Safe Scroll commitments continues to build.
*THE 5-POINT AGENDA: WHAT WAS PROMISED VS WHAT IS DONE*
The agenda was finalized on October 12 during an 8-hour Safe Scroll Dialogue at Mövenpick Islamabad, attended by the Ministry of Human Rights, Child Protection Bureau Punjab, UNICEF and UNFPA:
1. Integration of all child helplines into *1121*
2. Declaring online child abuse a non-compoundable offence
3. Single video forensic interview as admissible evidence and 90-day fast-track child courts
4. 10% mandatory public service airtime on TV channels (2 hours 24 minutes per day)
5. Digital literacy in the national school curriculum
On October 15, *1121 was officially notified* as the national Safe Scroll helpline and the 2026-2031 National Strategy was launched.
*Current Status:* According to independent reviews, only Point 1 has been implemented. PEMRA has yet to issue a notification under Section 20(e) for the 10% airtime, and over *12,000 forensic cases* remain pending in the system.
*PUNJAB CHILD PROTECTION BUREAU*
On the directions of Chairperson Sarah Ahmed, *16 children were rescued* from an unregistered orphanage in Multan and taken into protective custody.
The Bureau reports it has rescued *80,000+ children* to date, with 1,200 children currently in care, and has handled *18,790 calls on 1121* in the last three years.
Last week, Sarah Ahmed represented Pakistan at *University College London (UCL)* with a lecture on child marriage prevention and online child safety.
*NCCIA – OPERATION DIGITAL SHIELD*
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) carried out AI-based monitoring operations in Lahore, Gujranwala and Faisalabad.
Additional Director Atif Amir warned that possession or forwarding of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) on mobile phones is a punishable offence. A 13-year-old girl was rescued from a dark-web trap and handed over to the Child Protection Bureau.
*THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE CRISIS*
The urgency is underscored by UNICEF’s *Disrupting Harm in Pakistan* report (Sept 3, 2026) by UNICEF Innocenti, ECPAT International and INTERPOL:
– *1.5 million children* – Nearly 1 in 16 internet-using children aged 12-17 experienced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse in one year
– *85%* perpetrators were known to the child
– *44%* of abuse occurred on social media
– *71%* never told anyone; conviction rate in Punjab is *1%* and in KP *6%*
UNICEF Representative Pernille Ironside: _”Instead of asking children to avoid risk, we need to build systems that prevent abuse.”_
*PARENTAL ADVISORY FOR TODAY:*
1. Report any suspicious content immediately on *Helpline 1121*
2. Activate parental controls on all devices
3. Teach children that any online task or challenge involving indecent acts is a crime, not a game.
