ISLAMABAD: The policy makers at a seminar held here Thursday acknowledged that unified approach was needed to implement the child rights’ laws in the country.

They, however, said one of the key lacuna in the system was lack of credible data.

Responding to the concerns by other speakers, Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights Lal Chand Malhi said that child rights labour survey was expected to be completed this year.

He talked about government initiatives towards child rights with limited resources.

The seminar was organised by Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) with policy makers on child rights.

Mr Malhi mentioned that The Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Bill, 2020, and Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship Programme as some key steps taken by the government to safeguard the rights of Pakistani children.

Mr Malhi added that at legislative level, government supports private bills and bills tabled by opposition party members.

He also responded to the forced conversion issue mainly in Sindh as the perpetrators mostly target young girls.

Mr Malhi added that the report has been prepared by the Parliamentary committee and it has been submitted to the Sindh Ministry of Human Rights and even the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination Dr Nausheen Hamid said Pakistan had approximately 47pc of Pakistan’s total population comprising children under the age of 18, which is half of the total population.

She mentioned that the government was very much aware of the issues. The government is primarily focusing on child health, she added.

National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice Chairman Riaz Fatyana, MNA Mehnaz Akbar Aziz said that behavioural shift towards child labour in society was visible.

However, they added that the policy makers would have to set aside their differences and work together to protect the future of Pakistan which is possible only through the provision of child rights.

Sindh Child Protection Authority Chairperson Shamim Mumtaz said despite providing DNA evidence and confession, the perpetrators are set free due to mutual agreement between victim and perpetrator’s families.

She said there were numerous other ways where victims of child abuse are deprived of justice.

It was also noted in the seminar that financial constraints of National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC) were hampering its performance.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2021