Sindh Police Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) head Dr Sanaullah Abbasi, while speaking at a programme organised by the Child Rights Movement (CRM) Sindh, said that “Children being the most vulnerable and delicate part of the society need protection from violence, exploitation and abuse.”
He explained that the number of children suffering from exploitation, violence and abuse number in the millions across the province primarily because laws have not been implemented properly.
“In Sindh, we don’t have any shelter home for street children. Last year, budgetary allocation for the child protection authority had lapsed and Sindh government even doesn’t have a call centre. Child protection authority offices have not been established in 29 districts of Sindh.” he said.
There is a shortage of female medico-legal officers and thousands of marriages are contracted in the absence of documentary evidence regarding age in addition to the failure in enforcing a minimum standard child care institution, the CTD head elaborated.
The Sindh Child Protection Authority Act 2011 called for the establishment of an authority to protect the rights of children.
Child Protection Units (CPU’s) are not available in many district and their efficiency is marred by poor availability of resources where they do in fact operate.
“Some 6.2 million children are not going to school,” he said.
The Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act (2013) is a potential tool for booking as the law now criminalises child marriage. In addition, a non-coercive attitude must be adopted when taking statements from witnesses with regards to age.
Activists and experts claim that a feudal mindset results in gender inequality and that while laws passed by the Sindh government were commendable, serious efforts have not been made in their implementation.
“National laws restrict the working age to 14 years, which is not in line with Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan,” said Abbasi, adding that agriculture, child domestic labour and the informal sector in general do not fall under the purview of national child labour prohibition laws.
Abbasi cited figures compiled by Sahil organisation, highlighting a 12 per cent increase in recorded child sexual incidents in 2017.
“More boys than girls in the age groups 0-5 years and 11-15 years were sexually abused.”
Regarding the children of minorities, the senior police official said the average literacy rate among Christians in Punjab was 34pc, compared to the national average of 46.56pc.
“A study has revealed only 47pc of the minority women are educated vis-à-vis 57pc of the national average,” he remarked, adding that literacy rate among Christians in Punjab stood at 34 per cent as compared to the national average of 46.56 per cent.
He also made reference to high infant mortality rate among minority communities and approximately 1,000 forced conversions recorded each year.