Few images capture the quiet cruelty of Pakistan’s justice system more powerfully than that of a child growing up behind bars — not as a criminal, but as collateral. In Punjab alone, at least 140 children under the age of six are currently living in prisons alongside their incarcerated mothers. These are formative years that should be defined by care, learning and exploration — not confinement. Yet, these children are beginning life in an environment marked by surveillance and deprivation.
Official figures reveal that these minors — 67 boys and 73 girls – are scattered across 45 prisons in the province, with Adiala Jail and Multan Women’s Jail housing the highest numbers. Life for these children is bleak. Reports suggest that while some facilities offer basic schooling and healthcare, the conditions are far from adequate. Teachers visit irregularly, food is limited to lentils and flat bread, and in some cases, children are allegedly made to perform menial tasks by prison staff. Such an environment cannot nurture healthy development.
Authorities, meanwhile, insist that all legal obligations are being met. The law allows infants to stay with their mothers until the age of five, after which they are placed in the care of relatives or SOS Villages. But legality is not the same as morality. The state cannot claim compliance while turning a blind eye to the emotional scars inflicted on these children.
The state must consider alternatives, including establishing separate mother-and-child rehabilitation centres outside prison walls and providing post-release support to mothers and children alike. The measure of a society lies in how it treats its most vulnerable. By allowing children to spend their earliest years in captivity, Pakistan is failing that test. No child deserves to take their first steps in a prison corridor. It is time to open those gates and offer these children the freedom and dignity they deserve.
