As citizens, we demand that Article 11(3) of the Constitution be amended
KARACHI: The Ministry of Human Rights is responsible for ensuring that adequate measures are in place for the protection of children. Sadly, the care and attention given even to stray dogs in Turkey far exceeds the protective measures we have in place for our children in Pakistan. These lapses have resulted in the death of 8-year-old girl, Zohra Shah, and give way to the problem of child abuse which at the moment is rampant across the country.
The fact that our child protection laws are voluminous, contradictory and convoluted is known to all. Of the 35 national and provincial child protection acts, there are no two acts which agree on if an underage child should not be allowed to work domestically. Many even differ on the basic definition of who a child is. The ministry has failed to understand the underlying problem and has done nothing to resolve these conflicts.
As citizens, we demand that Article 11(3) of the Constitution be amended to read, “No child below the age of sixteen shall be engaged in any household, factory, mine, hazardous or non-hazardous employment in any capacity. Children from 16 to 18 may work only in non-hazardous occupations, and only under well-defined code of working conditions and hours.” It is essential that the ministry introduces this constitutional amendment in parliament to safeguard the rights of our children.
Naeem Sadiq
Published in The Express Tribune, June 7th, 2020.
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