KARACHI, Feb 21: The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc) on Wednesday expressed its concern over an incident in Badin where 11-year-old Atif Junejo had his finger broken during corporal punishment by a teacher.

“The Resident Director of Sparc Sindh, Akhtar Baloch, said corporal punishment is strongly entrenched in people’s mindset and in many areas of Pakistan, children’s behaviour is rectified and corrected by physical punishment.

‘‘He said Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child clearly enunciates that a child must be protected from all forms of physical and mental violence while in the care of parents and others. He said teachers particularly, besides parents and society should be educated to eliminate corporal punishment so today’s children do not grow up to become tomorrow’s scarred adults.