Innocent victims

Today, June 4, marks the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression. On this day, we must pay homage to Pakistan’s child victims of whom there have been many. The country remains one of the most brutal in terms of treatment and respect towards children. From depriving them of polio vaccinations, to thrashing them within the walls of our own homes, a place that is supposed to be a safe haven from the violent outside world — even if they commit a mistake unknowingly — children in Pakistan are not given the basic humans rights that they are entitled to, including the right to live in a safe environment without violence and aggression.

In an annual report, “The State of Pakistan’s Children 2012”, by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), it was stated that between January and October 2012, there were 5,659 reported cases of violence against children across the country. The offences included murders, rapes, injuries and trafficking among other offences. The numbers given in the report are not implausible; every week, tens of reports are published informing of rape, murder, kidnapping, torture and the traditions of the likes of vani. To compound these problems, child labour rights and child education and health rights are also difficult to seek and are given minimal consideration by those in authority.

To improve the conditions that children have to live in and grant them their basic rights, we must implore the government to pay heed to reports released by child rights advocates, such as SPARC. There are other similar reports throughout the year, including a recent one (by The Economist) that ranked Pakistan 75 out of 80 best places to be born in. In order to make Pakistan a safer environment for children, those in authority must ponder these statistics. We request them to realise that unless upcoming generations are ensured the basic human rights to live abuse- and violence-free lives, respect and trust for the country and fellow citizens will run low.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2013.

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