In remembrance : Govt renames school in memory of Kasur victim

Booklets to be handed out to raise public awareness on child abuse

LAHORE: Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan announced that a school would be renamed in remembrance of Zainab, the eight-year-old who was brutally raped and murdered in the city of Kasur.

During a seminar titled Secure Children, Secure Pakistan to mark Child Protection Day in Punjab, Mashhood confirmed that an all girls’ school would be called “Government Zainab Fatima Girls School Kasur”.

“Children can guarantee a strong Pakistan. They are the assets and the future of any nation. Protecting their rights guarantees a bright future,” stressed Mashhood.

Mashhood added that on the orders of Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, sessions would be held in public schools to educate children on how to protect themselves from sexual assault.

“Their security, education and secure upbringing are collective responsibility. A booklet has been introduced by the Punjab government to raise public awareness about the protection of children. This booklet has been arranged in consultation with all the departments concerned and it is expected to help promote awareness to save children and students from unscrupulous elements. Necessary instructions have also been given in the booklet for parents and teachers,” said Punjab Minister for Women Development Hamida Wahiuddin.

Punjab School Education Secretary Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik, Child Protection and Welfare Bureau Chairperson Saba Sadiq and Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board MD Abdul Qayyum as well as others also spoke at the seminar.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2018.