It seems that being born in Pakistan now amounts to a severe punishment
THATTA: Brutality and barbarism seem to have no end in Pakistan. The vigils seem to have ended, schools have reopened, life is going on as usual but our children continue to face dangers, and not just from the terror menace. They are being savaged, assaulted, victimised, raped and killed. Recently, two innocent children, a boy and girl, were raped and killed: a seven-year-old boy of Lahore and a five-year-old girl of Larkana.
It seems that being born in Pakistan now amounts to a severe punishment. More than 130 children were slain in Peshawar and hundreds have died in Thar, 3.3 million are entangled in child labour and others are being abused. Paedophiles regularly assault children, many of whom die or suffer through extreme stress. They become preys of anxiety and a variety of behavioural disorders. Neither can they sleep well nor can they trust anyone in their lives. The future of Pakistan — our children — seems to be bleak. Pakistan offers little protection to children. Not a single day passes when news of injustice and violence against children does not reverberate around Pakistan. The government must take strict actions against heinous crimes involving child abuse and the police should perform their duties sincerely in this regard.
Zuhaib Ahmed Pirzada
Published in The Express Tribune, January 21st, 2015.
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