National Commission on Children Rights Protection yet to be notified by government

ISLAMABAD: Despite the rapid increase in child abuse cases, a few of which are being reported on a daily basis now, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is yet to be notified by the government, Pakistan Today has learnt.

In September last year, the National Assembly (NA) passed the National Commission on the Rights of Child Act, 2017 that aimed to protect the child rights. However, the government has not constituted the commission, a worrisome delay that means children all over the country are in danger.

Well-placed sources have informed Pakistan Today that the government was bound to constitute the commission within six months of the act being passed by the parliament, which was in September last year.

However, the ministry of human rights failed to finalise the summary which indicts the non-seriousness of the ministry towards such matters.

The commission, once formed, will consist of ex-officio members from the law division, foreign affairs division, interior division, chairperson of National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR), chairperson of the National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW), chairpersons of provincial commission on rights of children, six other members, as well as, one child member.

Sources further said that the human rights ministry only received a few names from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) for the vacancies of chairman and members. However, Punjab and Sindh are not serious as not a single name has been received from either province.

“The minister after getting nominations from across the country had to send a summary to the cabinet but even after the lapse of six months, he has yet to finalise the summary,” they said.

It is noted that former Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani expressed his concerns after the Kasur incident and had inquired what the reasons for the delay in the commission’s formation were.

PPP former senator Farhatullah Baber who is quite vocal on human rights issues, recently expressed concerns over the delay of the commission, as well. Speaking at a seminar organised by an NGO, the PPP leader said that the commission should be formed without any further delay to save our children.

The irony is that a lawmaker from the ruling party remained unaware when she was asked about the commission.

Farhana Qamar, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker said that the commission has successfully been constituted. “According to my knowledge, the commission has been constituted,” claimed that lawmaker, a member of the NA since 2013.

The current situation surrounding child rights in the country is alarming especially, an incident like that of Zainab from Kasur surfaces every other day without fail. It is noted that since 2103 over 17,000 cases of child abuse have been reported.

Both Ministry of Human Rights secretary Rabiya Javeri Agha nor Joint Secretary Humera Azam Khan remained continuously unavailable for comment.