LAHORE: The Child Rights Movement, Punjab, with the Search for Justice observed the Universal Children’s Day with a child-led rally in Lahore on Monday where participants demanded increase in resource allocation to implement children’s rights.
Rashida Qureshi, provincial coordinator of the Child Rights Movement, said that in 2014 Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had assured that the Punjab government would establish a commission for implementing and overseeing children’s rights. Three years later no actions have been seen, she said.
She also said that despite incidents of violence against children, the government had come up with no prevention plan.
“The government has not been able to rehabilitate child abuse survivors,” she said.
Iftikhar Mubarik also highlighted the unfortunate situation of child domestic labour in Punjab, referring the statistics of Child Protection and Welfare Bureau who rescued 73 child domestic labourers suffering brutal torture by their employers.
“Not even one case exists where the abuser has received punishment,” he said. “Despite so many murders domestic child labour is not a legally prohibited occupation for children. It means the Punjab government is allowing modern slavery.”
Search for Justice representative Nazeefa Fatima demanded that there be some package in connection to the Universal Children’s Day from the Government of Punjab covering legislative improvements or police measures to meet children related commitments under the Child Rights Convention, Universal Periodic Review, sustainable development goals and International Labour Organisation’s conventions.
She also urged the government to make necessary arrangements for the empowerment of children so they may equip with appropriate skills to protect themselves in difficult circumstances.
She also highlighted the need for collection of comprehensive data on children on move and urged for women economic empowerment to improve the livelihood opportunities for women to reduce poverty.
Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2017