Two underage sisters were admitted to a hospital in critical condition after allegedly being brutally assaulted by their stepfather in North Karachi’s Shahnawaz Bhutto Colony, police said on Wednesday.
The girls, aged eight and sixteen, were reportedly subjected to sustained abuse by their mother’s second husband following her remarriage. The case came to light when their maternal uncle filed a complaint at Khawaja Ajmer Nagri Police Station, stating that he had received information about the girls’ deteriorating condition a day earlier and took them to the hospital immediately.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered under attempted murder provisions. The stepfather fled the house after the girls were taken to the hospital and remains at large.
Police Surgeon Dr Sumaiya stated that both girls bore physical injuries dating back five to six days. Medical samples have been sent for chemical testing, and further action will be taken after the results, including confirmation on whether sexual assault occurred.
The incident has reignited concerns about child abuse in Pakistan. A report by the Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO) revealed that 7,608 cases of violence against children were reported in 2024, averaging 21 incidents a day.
Of those, 354 cases occurred in Sindh, including 19 each of physical and sexual abuse, and 152 kidnappings. No convictions were reported in these cases.
SSDO Executive Director Syed Kausar Abbas criticised the lack of legal outcomes, calling the conviction rate “unacceptably low.” He urged the establishment of specialised child protection courts and the implementation of more effective legal mechanisms.
