Mianwali’s Kamar Mushani case highlights risks faced by working children

The alleged sexual assault of a 12-year-old working child in Kamar Mushani, Mianwali, has raised concerns about the risks faced by children

LAHORE / MIANWALI:  The alleged sexual assault of a 12-year-old working child in Kamar Mushani, Mianwali, has raised concerns about the risks faced by children working in cattle markets, bus stands, workshops and other informal labour spaces.

The case was registered through FIR No. 730/2026 at Kamar Mushani Police Station under Section 376(iii) of the Pakistan Penal Code on September 15. Police said the investigation is underway and efforts are being made to arrest the nominated accused.

Minute Mirror is withholding the identity and other identifying details of the child and family to protect the minor. The report focuses on the wider child-protection concerns rather than details of the alleged offence.

Poverty and child labour

According to the FIR, the child, who belongs to the Kot Chandna area, left home on September 14 to work as a daily-wage labourer at the Kamar Mushani cattle market but did not return until late at night. His family later found him in distress.

The complainant, also a daily-wage worker and father of seven children, told police that financial hardship had forced the family to send the child to work instead of continuing his education.

The case has highlighted how poverty can push children into unregulated workplaces where monitoring and protection mechanisms remain limited.

Gaps in protection

Local sources told Minute Mirror that Kamar Mushani, a major cattle-market hub near the Punjab-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border, attracts large numbers of seasonal workers, including children. Sources said several market areas lack adequate CCTV coverage, formal child-safety mechanisms and effective enforcement of child-labour laws.

A Child Protection and Welfare Bureau official in Mianwali said children working in such environments can remain largely invisible to authorities until an incident is reported.

The situation also raises questions about school dropout, poverty and the enforcement of Punjab’s child-labour restrictions in economically vulnerable districts.

From FIR registration to justice

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has declared child abuse a “Red Line” under the government’s zero-tolerance policy and directed authorities to ensure FIR registration, monitoring and prosecution support.

Child-rights experts, however, have stressed that registration of a case is only the beginning. They have called for timely medico-legal examinations, proper preservation of forensic evidence, child-friendly interviews and speedy trials.

Experts also recommend identifying high-risk locations such as cattle markets, truck stands and bus terminals, improving surveillance, establishing child-safety committees and strengthening inspections.

\ Five-point preventive approach

Stakeholders have suggested linking vulnerable families with education stipends and social-protection programmes to reduce the economic pressure that contributes to child labour. Awareness campaigns should also educate parents and children about abuse prevention and reporting mechanisms.

Law-enforcement agencies should ensure timely medical and forensic procedures, while children affected by abuse should receive legal assistance, psychological counselling, education and rehabilitation support.

The broader objective, child-rights advocates say, should be to prevent children from entering unsafe labour environments while ensuring that reported cases are investigated fairly and prosecuted effectively.

Minute Mirror is withholding all information that could identify the child or family and has excluded graphic details from the report in accordance with child-protection principles.