Every day, child helplines hear the stories behind the statistics.
They hear from children who have disappeared from home, who have been trafficked or exploited, who are forced to work or beg, or who find themselves living on the streets without protection or support. They hear from families desperately searching for missing children. They witness the gaps in systems that leave children vulnerable, often long before those gaps appear in official reports or policy discussions.
Responding to those calls is at the heart of every child helpline’s work. But sometimes, listening is only the beginning.
For almost a decade, our member Madadgaar National Helpline (1098), operated by Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA), has been pursuing one of Pakistan’s most significant child protection cases. Constitutional Petition No. 23 of 2017 seeks to strengthen national systems for protecting missing, trafficked, kidnapped, street-connected and exploited children, while promoting stronger coordination, accountability and rehabilitation across the country.
On 16 July 2026, the case reached another important milestone when it came before Pakistan’s newly established Federal Constitutional Court.
While the Court did not issue a final judgment, the hearing marked meaningful progress. The Government informed the Court that – after six years of passage of the law and two court orders to produce the rules – draft rules under the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Act have now been prepared and are awaiting approval by the Ministry of Law and Justice. Although these rules have yet to come into force, their development represents an important step forward following years of advocacy and continued judicial oversight. The Court has adjourned the matter until after its summer recess, when proceedings will continue.
For those unfamiliar with the case, it would be easy to view this as simply another court hearing in a long-running legal process.
For the child helpline community, however, it represents something much bigger.
Around the world, child helplines do far more than provide immediate support to children in crisis. Every conversation they have helps build a deeper understanding of the challenges children face. Over time, this unique evidence enables child helplines to identify patterns, highlight systemic shortcomings and advocate for stronger laws, policies and services that better protect children.
Madadgaar’s work over the past nine years demonstrates exactly this broader role.
Rather than accepting that individual cases should remain individual tragedies, the organization has sought to transform years of frontline experience into lasting structural change. Their petition calls for stronger child protection mechanisms, improved coordination between federal and provincial authorities, effective implementation of existing legislation, and systems capable of preventing children from falling through the cracks.
Madadgaar National Helpline 1098 dealt with over 2500 cases in 2015, this number increased to 3000+ in 2018 and currently – as per the National Commission on the Rights of the Child’s 2025 report, based on ZARA Alert data – 837 cases were reported in 2025. But this is not the full picture as Madadgaar and other civil society organizations’ data suggests 4000+ cases in 2025. The total increment in such incidents is 33% since 2017.
In numbers:
- 115-116 million children under 18 (47% of total population)
- 25.15 million children out of school
- 8.61 million children aged 5-17 in child labor
- 10 children are abused every day (numbers are much higher as these are only reported cases, many go unreported)
- 3 children are kidnapped or go missing every day (numbers are much higher as these are only reported cases, many go unreported)
Child protection reform is rarely achieved overnight. It often depends upon years of persistence, partnership and the determination to ensure that children’s experiences are not forgotten once a crisis has passed.
As the case continues before Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court, Child Helpline International recognizes the commitment shown by our member, Madadgaar National Helpline, in pursuing systemic improvements that have the potential to benefit countless children across Pakistan.
Their work reminds us that child helplines do more than answer calls.
They listen.
They document.
They advocate.
And, through sustained commitment, they help build stronger systems in which every child is better protected.
We look forward to following the next stages of Constitutional Petition No. 23 of 2017 and stand alongside Madadgaar National Helpline 1098 in its continuing efforts to strengthen child protection for children across Pakistan.