Islamabad, January 30, 2026 — The Parliamentary Caucus of the National Assembly on Child Rights, led by Convenor Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan, and the Sustainable Social Development Organization signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a structured, results-oriented partnership to strengthen child protection legislation, parliamentary oversight, and policy action nationwide. The agreement was signed on behalf of the caucus by the Acting Secretary of the National Assembly, Mr. Saeed Ahmed, and by Mr. Syed Kausar Abbas, Executive Director of SSDO.
Senior parliamentarians and officials attended the signing, including Parliamentary Secretaries Ms. Zeb Jaffar, Ms. Rana Ansar, and Ms. Farah Naz Akbar, Member of the National Assembly Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Programs Director of SSDO Ms. Maryam Jawad, and officers and staff from the National Assembly Secretariat. The partnership is designed to combine parliamentary reach with NGO research capacity to deliver practical reform on child protection matters.
Under the MoU the parties reaffirm their commitment to Pakistan’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and to ensuring the Best Interests of the Child guide all legislative and oversight work. The collaboration will prioritise research-based lawmaking and active parliamentary engagement on topics such as child trafficking, juvenile justice, child labour, early marriage and child abuse, with child protection as the central focus throughout.
The agreement envisages joint Child Rights Budget Analyses and the presentation of evidence-based recommendations to relevant Standing Committees, while facilitating direct engagement with concerned ministries and national child rights institutions. Members of the National Assembly stressed the urgent need for reliable, up-to-date data on child trafficking, abuse and exploitation, noting that robust evidence is essential for effective legislation and meaningful parliamentary oversight.
Acting Secretary Mr. Saeed Ahmed underscored the importance of research-driven lawmaking and called for full utilisation of data and analytical reports produced through this partnership to inform policy and legislative drafting. The MoU sets a clear pathway for cooperative research, budgeting analysis and parliamentary action aimed at closing gaps in child protection across Pakistan.
