Child rights: Civil society demands enactment of laws

Postcard campaign launched to pressure govt.

A postcard campaign was launched for the enactment of pending child rights-related legislation at the federal level by the Child Rights Movement (CRM) Pakistan on Tuesday. 

CRM Pakistan is a coalition of more than 100 civil society organisations working for the protection and promotion of child rights.

The campaign calls for enactment of the National Commission on the Rights of Children Bill, the Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill 2013, the Child Protection (Criminal Law) Amendment Bill 2013, the Charter of Child Rights Bill 2013 and the Child Marriages Restraint (Amendment) Bill. At a press conference, CRM representatives said legislation on child rights issues has not gained due consideration in Parliament.



Legislation on child rights issues has been ignored owing to the government’s failure to establish the National Commission for the Rights of Children (NCRC) to act as a central, independent and effective monitoring body. A bill to establish NCRC has been pending since 2001.

Despite declaring 2013 as “The Year of the Rights of the Child” by the country’s premier last year, CRM members lamented that no significant steps have been taken for protection of child rights at the policy and legislation level.



The previous National Assembly passed the Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill 2013 on the last day of its tenure. However, the bill lapsed as it was not passed by the Senate.

To highlight the deteriorating state of child rights, CRM Pakistan has decided to launch a postcard campaign for the enactment of pending legislation. 5,000 postcards from across the country will be sent to the prime minister by children, parents, teachers and members of civil society urging him to step up in this regard.

There are more than 20.5 million children out of school in Pakistan and 10.2 million of them are engaged in child labour where they are exploited, abused, tortured and killed, according to CRM members. Though the Islamabad Capital Territory Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act was passed in 2012 by both houses of Parliament yet the law is not enforceable in ICT as the rules have not been notified for the enforcement and implementation of the law.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2013.