KARACHI: Speakers at a discussion held in connection with International Human Rights Day at a local hotel on Wednesday said that the Covid-19 pandemic had a profound impact on children’s well-being, and there was an immediate need for the government to take steps to address their needs in the light of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

The event was organised by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc). Speaking about government efforts for children’s uplift, Special Assistant to Chief Minister of Sindh on Human Rights Veerji Kolhi said approximately 47 per cent of Pakistan’s total population comprised children under the age of 18.

He mentioned that Pakistan ratified the UNCRC in November 1990 but only 24 per cent of its laws were in line with the convention’s requirements.

“Bringing these legislations in conformity with the UNCRC and their effective implementation is the key priority of our government,” he noted.

Sajjad Ahmed Cheema, executive director at Sparc, said children had been the biggest victims of Covid-19 pandemic as it seriously hampered their access to education, health, nutrition, protection and mental and physical development.

He shared a report by the United Nations published in June 2020 which stated that the current Covid-19 pandemic was likely to push more than 120 million South Asian children in poverty within the next six months.

Member National Assembly Kishwar Zehra referred to Article 25-A of the Constitution according to which free and quality education was the fundamental right of every child.

“However, Pakistan’s spending on education is the lowest in South Asia and one of the lowest in the world. Pakistan has 22.84 million out-of-school children which is the second highest figure in the world,” she said, adding that this dropout ratio was expected to increase exponentially due to the pandemic.

Dr Seema Zia, Sindh Assembly member of PTI, expressed concern over the low priority status of children in the country and said there was no special allocation for child health and nutrition. As a result, 40pc of under-five children were at serious risk.

“Pakistan stands third in the list of countries with high mortality burden of children of this age group. Keeping children at home isn’t enough to save them from the pandemic. Efforts must be made to ensure that every child is vaccinated and has access to proper healthcare and nutrition to boost their immunity levels,” she said.

Iqbal Detho, a member of the National Commission on Child Rights, raised concern on the increasing violence children were facing during the Covid-19 pandemic and children were being subjected to physical torture by financially and mentally depressed adults.

He mentioned that child marriages, trafficking, and sale for commercial and sexual exploitation were expected to rise due to increasing poverty whereas cases of physical and sexual violence against girl domestic workers and street children were being reported frequently.

Earlier, Muhammad Kashif Mirza representing Sparc regretted that Pakistan hadn’t delivered on its international and national commitments towards child rights.

“Approximately 12 million Pakistani children are engaged in labour and many of them are involved in hazardous forms of work. This figure also includes over 1.2 million children living and working in the streets,” he informed the participants.

Citing a report titled Cruel Numbers 2019, he said eight child abuse cases were repor­ted every day in Pakistan this year.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2020