LAHORE – The Society for the Protection of the Rights of Child (SPARC) has shown concern over increasing violence against children. For this purpose an awareness walk was organised by the society in collaboration with Allama Iqbal High School Umer Road, Kirshan Nagar, Lahore, from the school to the Punjab Civil Secretariat. More than 100 children along with adults and the school staff participated in the awareness walk. The children carried banners addressing their rights and asking the government to take concrete steps to protect them.
Addressing the participants, SPARC Programme Coordinator Imran Qureshi said that news regarding sexual abuse of children, violence at work places, corporal punishments at schools and murder of domestic workers in houses were increasing day by day. Therefore, there was a dire need to sensitise the whole society against this evil. He said the role of the concerned departments and the government required special attention and concrete steps needed to be taken in this regard. He said underage children were being used by criminals for their private agendas and were being lured by temptations to carry out suicide attacks and be involved in drugs and other activities. Qureshi demanded a ban on domestic child labor because it opened them to emotional trauma and made them vulnerable to victimisation in other forms of violence, discrimination and exploitation.
SPARC condemns growing violence against children
