KARACHI: Taking exception to the recent recovery of 54 boys and 14 men allegedly kept in fetters in a seminary, speakers at a group discussion on human rights situation have urged the government to take effective legal and administrative measures to curb violence against children.

The participants of the discussion, organised by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc) on Wednesday night, observed that until the government made serious efforts, such barbarous incidents would continue to haunt the younger generation.

They also expressed concern over an increase in the cases of corporal punishment. They referred to corporal punishment in all settings, including homes, care institutions, boarding facilities, educational institutions, workplaces, religious education institutions, police stations, and prisons, and stressed that the process of legislation on the Sindh Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill 2011, which, according to Sparc, lay with the law department for vetting, be expedited.

Aftab Inayat, additional secretary of education, said the proposed law would soon be passed by the assembly, following which her department would also monitor all educational institutions, including religious ones.

Dr Abdul Shakoor Abro, provincial coordinator of the social welfare department, highlighted the plight of children living on streets and stressed the need for tackling the issue exclusively.

Advocate Zia Awan said civil society should press political parties to include child rights in their manifestos.

Suhail Ahmed Abro of Sparc said: “There are lacunas in the penal law. Section 89 of the Pakistan Penal Code provides immunity to any actions done in welfare of children. Hence, provision of this section is exploited by violators, especially teachers, guardians, and parents, to escape prosecution in case of inflicting punishment on children.”

Referring to two significant laws dealing with children, Mr Abro said the Sindh Children Act 1955 and the Sindh Child Protection Authority Act 2011 did not address the issue directly. They just had an indirect reference to it. He said there was a need to evolve a mechanism to monitor the cases of corporal punishment in all settings and the government should arrange for it.Haq Nawaz Talpur, president of the Justice For All organisation, and Sparc official Ghulam Madni Memon also spoke.