PESHAWAR, April 23: Speakers at a seminar on Wednesday urged the government to implement the laws pertaining to child rights in letter and spirit and ensure availability of resources to children to save them from physical and mental disorder and make them responsible citizens through education.

The seminar on “Child rights: the role of social sciences” was organized by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc) and department of sociology and anthropology, University of Peshawar.

Former chairman of the social work department, Prof Karam Elahi, presided over the seminar.

Sociology and Anthropology Department’s Chairman Dr Rashid Khan said child exploitation was spreading because of poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, lack of family planning, dissatisfaction from education system and absence of social security mechanism. He said exploitation weakened children physically and psychologically. He said the country lacked laws which were mandatory for fundamental freedoms.

He said most schools followed a system that did not encourage creativity.

He said the Senate subcommittee on the plight of the children had sent its preliminary report to the quarters concerned for implementation but it was yet to be made public.

He said Pakistan had ratified the Child Rights Convention but millions of children had been deprived of their basic rights. He said innocent kids could be seen as factory workers, vendors, workshop assistants, beggars and car cleaners.

He urged the government to implement laws concerning child labour and ensure the availability of ample resources to safeguard the rights of the children.

Prof Karim Elahi urged the social scientists to spread awareness among the children about their rights.

Provincial coordinator of Sparc, Jahanzeb Khan, also spoke.