The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), a non-governmental organisation, expressed it concern Wednesday over the kidnapping of 27 Bajaur boys by banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) last week.
In a statement issued here, the SPARC condemned the militant group for holding the boy hostage. The organisation demanded that the government should ensure immediate release of the young boys. It urged the government and non-state actors such as Taliban to follow international humanitarian laws and Islamic injunctions so that children, women and innocent people could be protect during the ongoing armed colflct.
The SPARC statement said, “The Geneva Convention IV guarantees special care for children and the Additional Protocol (I) lays down the principle of special respect for children and that they shall be protected against any form of indecent assault.
The parties to the conflict shall provide them with the care and aid they require, whether because of their age or for any other reason (Art.77). This principle also applies to non-international armed conflict (Art.4, para. 3 APII).”
The SPARC urged the government and religious political parties to take steps to ensure safe and immediate release of the hostage boys.
The TTP has demanded that the government release children and women languishing in various prisons, stop instigating tribesmen for forming anti-Taliban lashkars and disband such groups and ‘peace committees’ in Bajaur as conditions for release of the kidnapped children.
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