Caucus stresses action on child protection
PHOTO: FILE
The National Assembly has underscored the collective responsibility of lawmakers to ensure a safe and nurturing environment for every child in Pakistan.
The call was made during a session of the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights (PCCR) at the Parliament House on Sunday.
The meeting, chaired by PCCR Convener and Parliamentary Secretary for Science and Technology Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan, deliberated on the alarming rise in child abuse cases across Pakistan.
It focused on reviewing trends in child violence, abuse, and exploitation and examined the current conviction rates in these cases.
Dr Nikhat opened the session by welcoming members and distinguished guests, emphasizing the collective responsibility of lawmakers to create a safe and nurturing environment for every child in Pakistan.
Highlighting the urgent need for enhanced prevention and justice mechanisms, she called for identifying legal and institutional gaps and encouraged active parliamentary engagement to develop effective policy recommendations.
The Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO), represented by its Executive Director Syed Kausar Abbas, delivered a comprehensive presentation detailing the prevalence of child abuse, child labour, early marriages, trafficking, and other forms of exploitation.
The report also provided conviction statistics obtained under the Right to Information Act from law enforcement agencies in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Islamabad.
He shared detailed presentation about the reported cases and conviction rate during the past six years (2019 to 2024).
The data presented to the parliamentary caucus was collected by using Right of Access to Information laws of the provinces and federal legal and under Article 19-A of the Constitution of Pakistan.
Another qualitative report on the Good Touch & Bad Touch, a development study of schools of Islamabad was presented by Director Programs of SSDO Maryam Jawad and Research Associate Yusra Khurram Butt.
The parliamentarians gave their suggestions and recommendations about the report and will be published soon for larger dissimination about the issue.
During the open discussion, several constructive proposals were made to strengthen child protection efforts.
Parliamentary Secretary Zeb Jaffar advocated for workshops in Islamabad schools to educate children and parents on physical safety through storytelling focused on "good touch, bad touch." Dr Shahida Rehmani urged for the integration of harassment awareness into school curricula, while MNA Syeda Shehla Raza highlighted the effectiveness of visual aids such as films in sensitizing parents, children, and teachers.
Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar shared findings from her constituency emphasizing the risks of leaving children unsupervised with relatives or domestic staff. With input from APP