Pakistan, July 30 -- In December 2013, five girls from a cricket club in Pakistan came forward with allegations of abuse against the club's chairman. Their complaint, instead of triggering accountability, resulted in their own suspension. Each received a nine-month ban. There was no inquiry, no protection, and no support. The message was unmistakably clear: in Pakistan's sporting institutions, speaking up is often punished, not applauded.

While the sports world internationally has been forced to reckon with a series of abuse scandals in recent years, most notably the Larry Nassar case in the United States, the conversation in Pakistan remains largely muted. There is growing global recognition of the issue and the need for safeguarding me...