LAHORE: The civil society activists expressed anger and disappointment at the rise in crime against children, showing their deep concerns at the indifference shown from the state institutions and the government towards the issue.

They were speaking in a meeting at the Lahore Press Club on Friday in context of the case in Rawalpindi of 10-year-old girl who was found raped and murdered.

While the family repeatedly tried to file a first information report (FIR), the police refused.

“It is a pathetic situation that the federal and provincial governments have still not established a solid child protection system for the prevention, intervention and rehabilitation (of children),” said Iftikhar Mubarik, executive director of the Search for Justice, a non-government organsation working for child rights.

“It’s about time there are comprehensive child protection policies followed by action plans to deal with the child abuse.”

Mr Mubarik said his organisation had been trying to collaborate with the Punjab government for allocation of adequate funds in the provincial budget 2019-20 for capacity-building, awareness and strengthening coordination among different departments and organisations to promote child protection.

This year is the 30th anniversary of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 19 which clearly asks the state parties to take appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the children from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child, he added.

Rashida Qureshi, the programme coordinator of the Search for Justice & CAN Pakistan, also showed her concern about a recent incident in Sheikhupura of beating and hanging a Grade-III student upside down from a tree as punishment for not learning his lesson. She pointed out that in January 2018, the School Education Department, upon directives of the Lahore High Court, reiterated its commitment to end corporal punishment in all government and private schools through a notification.

Lawyer Miqdad Naqvi raised his concerns for growing incidents of violence against child domestic labourers.

Ahmar Majeed, legal expert on child rights, expressed dissatisfaction with giving ‘cruelty to children’ under Section 328-A PPC, a bailable offence.

“As a result of it, the accused do not get punished and the major purpose behind enacting this legislation back in 2016 is not served.

“This legislation should be amended for making it a non-bailable and non-compoundable offence,” he demanded.

Labour Education Foundation (LEF) director Khalid Mehmood said an enormous campaign to educate the masses about legal and institutional framework was needed to end violence against children.

“There is dire need to establish community-based child protection mechanisms,” he suggested.

Nabila Bhatti from SANJOG added that the international obligations of Pakistan under the Convention on the Rights of Child and its recommendations provided guidelines to the government.

Nazir Ahmad Ghazi from Grass Root Organisation for Human Development (GoDH) also urged clear mechanisms to implement legal provisions which prohibited admission of children under 15 years of age in the domestic labour workforce.

The activists urged Chief Minister Usman Buzdar to take up the pending matter of establishing an independent and empowered provincial commission on the rights of children through an act of the assembly to ensure protection of child rights.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2019