KARACHI, June 13: Speakers at the launch of a report on Monday urged the government to give due priority to social sector development, particularly children related issues, so that quality of life of the common people in general and children in particular be improved. The report on “State of Pakistan’s children 2004” has been prepared by a non-governmental organization, the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Children.
Former federal minister Javed Jabbar, SPARC national coordinator Anees Jillani, Shehnaz Afzal of the Provincial Commission on Child Welfare and Development, Dr Habiba Hasan of the Human Rights Education Programme, Zia Awan of the Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid, and others addressed the meeting.
They said that though the country had signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and formulated some laws in conformity with its international commitment, very little work had been done for the implementation of these laws.
They said that government’s apathy could be seen from the fact that the government was supposed to submit its first country report with the United Nations in 1992, but it was submitted in 1993, whereas the second report that was to be submitted in 1997 was submitted in 2001, as the foreign ministry did not like the report and kept it in the ministry for over three years rather than submitting it with the United Nations.
Referring to the Juvenile Justice Ordinance in the light of child rights, the speakers maintained that it was promulgated by the government but it was rejected by the Punjab High Court in 2004. They said when the Supreme Court was moved it had been given a status quo against the Punjab High Court’s order.
They said that under the Juvenile Justice system children, except for those involved in heinous crimes, were not supposed to kept in jails, but they were to be housed in rehabilitation centres, which have not yet been established.
It was pointed out that the Sindh government was planning to set up a Child Protection Authority and a draft law had been circulated among various stake holders for their comments, and after the comments were received it would be presented in the assembly.
The 198-page report is compiled from media, reports and surveys and firsthand information dealing with child rights, child labour, violence, education, health and children in Afghanistan.
On the issue of child labour, the report says that ever growing poverty is resulting in the growing number of working children in different sectors and says that the situation is deteriorating with the passage of time. The report portrays a dismal picture of feudals holding them responsible for bonded labour. It also covers the laws relating to bonded labour and the projects being undertaken for its elimination; the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1992; the National Plan of Action for Abolition of Bonded Labour; and Rehabilitation of Freed Bonded Labourers 2001.
Detailing some comparative data of the region, the report says that infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births in Pakistan is 81, in India 63, Bangladesh 46, Sri Lanka 13 and Nepal 61. The under-five mortality rate per 1,000 live births is 103 in Pakistan which is second only to Afghanistan’s 257 in the region, whereas the figures are 87 in India, 69 in Bangladesh, 15 in Sri Lanka and 82 in Nepal.
