The walk was organized jointly by the UNICEF and the Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA), and it began from the Jail Chowrangi and concluded at the Mazar of the Quaid-i-Azam.
Over one-and-a-half-km long march marked the beginning of the week-long activities (Nov 12 to Nov 20) which are being organized in connection with the International Children’s Day.
The activities are being held to create and spread the awareness regarding the problems being faced by the children and to suggest steps needed to be taken to ensure their protection in the society.
The children raised slogans highlighting their issues. Some of the slogans were: Stop violence against children”, “Children are our life, protect them from violence”, “we need your attention”, “education for all children” and “stop child labour”.
LHRLA chief Zia Awan speaking to children at the conclusion of the walk at the Mazar said though there were many rules that ensured protection of children, these were not being implemented effectively.
He said though Pakistan was a signatory to various international conventions dealing with the protection of the child, like the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the government was bound to formulate its laws in conformity with these conventions, very little work had been done in that regard.
He urged them to approach Madadgar, a helpline (on telephone number 111 911 922) being operated jointly by the UNICEF and the LHRLA, in case they came to know of any atrocities being committed against the children.
Citing some data regarding the crimes against the children, he said over 343 children had been murdered during the first nine months of the year 2001. Over 189 girl children had been raped, and over 88 boys had been sodomised.
Students from New Urooj Grammar School, Trinity Public School, Ali Public School, Golden Model School, Shahid Memorial School, Jahangir Road School No 3, Falcon Grammar School, also participated.