QUETTA, Oct 19: Balochistan Sports and Social Welfare Minister Roshan Khurshid Barucha on Saturday underlined the need for research to check abuse of children.

Speaking at the sixth national conference on “Child rights and abuses of Pakistani and Afghan children,” she said the that without welfare, development and protection of child rights, no society could think of social development.

The conference, being held by child rights and abuse committee of Pakistan Paediatrics Association (PPA), will continue for two days.

She said: “We have to give full attention to this important issue like the developed societies.”

She was of the view that poverty, lack of education and non-availability of medical facilities were the main hurdles in protection of the rights of children.

The minister said: “Sexual abuse causes physical and mental anguish and emotional instability among children. Many of them lose their self esteem and find it difficult to build relationship in adult life.”

She said the problems being faced by children needed attention of people.

She said the provincial government was taking all possible steps for providing facilities to the children and protecting their rights. She lauded the efforts of the PPA.

Afghan Consul-General Mohammed Sadiq Daudzai said the government of his country was taking steps to check child abuse.

He said 23 years of war in Afghanistan had badly affected the society.

He said the kidnapping of Afghan children for camel race in United Arab Emirates and sale in other countries should be discussed at the conference.

The chairman of the organizing committee and former president of the PPA, Dr Amir Mohammed Khan Jogezai, said the conference was being held here for the first time in collaboration with the Afghan government.

Director of National Institute for Children’s Welfare and Development, Mohammed Hassan Mangi, provincial chief of United Nations Fund for Children, Abdul Ahad, and chairman of the PPA’s child rights and abuse committee, Dr Tufail Mohammed Khan, also spoke.