THE news of the kidnapping of 712 children in Punjab sent a chill down my spine. According to data, in 2015, some 1,200 children were kidnapped in the province and the figure for the current year is 767; while 312 children were abducted in Lahore.

It is shocking that Punjab is a safe haven for kidnappers. These children are kidnapped for many reasons like paedophilia, ransom money, trade, and beggary through children, transformation into militants or suicide bombers, and even for extracting vital organs of the kidnapped.

One can realise the pain and suffering of the families of the kidnapped children.

An HRCP, fact-finding mission had received credible information indicating large-scale sexual abuse of children over the years in Hussain Khan Wala village in Kasur district. It concluded that the failure to take action lent support to charges that local policemen were in cahoots with the culprits.

Kidnapping children is a violation of the fundamental rights of children. The national child protection policy, and the Child Protection Bill should be immediately formulated, passed and implemented.

Also, keeping in view the Punjab police performance, the Rangers should be given special policing powers for an operation against kidnappers.

Nazeer Ahmed Arijo

Larkana

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2016