Child Rights Violations In Pakistan: A Call For Action – OpEd
November 20th was celebrated as the International Children Day but the day was marked by widespread protests in Balochistan, especially the capital Quetta where the family and civil society protested the abduction of another child.
In Pakistan, children are particularly susceptible to various types of violence, including sexual, psychological, and physical abuse, as well as exploitation, including child trafficking and economic exploitation. Children in Pakistan face harsh conditions as a result of poverty, illiteracy, and cultural norms that support violent cycles. Alarming allegations of child labor, human trafficking, and physical punishment underscore the pressing need for systemic change, as many children are abused in their homes, schools, and communities. Child rights are defined as “The rights that are concerned with both the protection of the individual child and the creation of the conditions in which all children can develop to their full potential”.
According to a report by United Nations International Children Fund (UNICEF) 2023, there are approximately 26.2 million children out of school, and 13.7 per cent of them who are aged between 10-17 years are engaged in child labor in Pakistan. The largest concentration of children’s right violations is seen in Pakistan’s largest province, Balochistan, which became a hub of challenges and security issues. In the province, child rights violations are increasing rapidly. It is important to note that rather of taking real tangible action to address this unstable situation, the federal and provincial governments merely make empty political claims and declarations.
Child labor in the province has been steadily increasing due to the widespread presence of poverty. Children are compelled to work from a young age in order to provide for their family. It has been noted that children in Balochistan primarily labor in auto shops, coal mines, construction sites, and rubbish collection services. However, child labor harms children’s social, moral, physical, and mental development. It also touches on the grave problem of child trafficking and selling.
The violations of child rights have massive repercussions on the state and society. Poverty, lack of systematic education and opportunities force the youth to indulge in criminal activities, which can give birth to many social ills. Adding more, the surge in using of drugs by children is also a main concern to deal, because it has many harmful impacts on the behavior of child and make them more prone to violence and aggression. A rapid increase in drug addiction among students of academic institutions has emerged as a serious social problem confronting the contemporary society that constitutes one of the highest proportions of young people in the world. Most are impressionable children from poor families who are indoctrinated through networks of terrorist organizations; although many are also procured through by armed gangs, and then incited to conduct illicit and terrorism activities.
Children working in coal mines, auto shops are abducted by organized beggar-rings and terrorists to use them as a shield to fulfill their interests, there are many examples of such horrifying incidents, and each new tragedy eclipses the previous one in the public’s memory. Only cases that capture media attention or come under the radar of officials, NGOs, child rights activists, or concerned individuals see action, but even these are few and far between.
However, effective child protection requires seamless coordination between key stakeholders, including child protection authorities, police, medico-legal officers, and the judiciary. This is severely lacking in Pakistan. Each department operates its own helpline; efforts to create a unified helpline for child protection have met with resistance. Each department responds to cases according to its individual protocols, resulting in delays and confusion.
For a child protection system to work in Pakistan, we need coordination among all stakeholders involved in child protection, including citizens, professionals working with children, child protection authorities, police, the judiciary, lawyers, and healthcare providers. We need pre-designed forms for reporting incidents of child abuse, step-by-step guidelines for handling cases, and clear protocols for monitoring, auditing, and reviewing processes to ensure compliance with best practices. Its primary goal should be to protect the child and family from further trauma, while offering a systematic, trauma-informed approach to address child abuse and child labor. Awareness campaigns should be consistent and will only succeed when a strong child protection system is functioning effectively. It needs great efforts and dire consideration to secure children rights and provide them such facilities and education to treat them like a national asset.
Children in any country hold the key to its future. The country will have issues if they are involved in illegal operations. Concrete action, not just words, is required for a successful reaction. Multifaceted approaches, such as bolstering legal frameworks, raising awareness, and offering easily accessible support services, are necessary for an effective crisis response.
Every kid is entitled to a life free from violence, including physical or corporal punishment as well as humiliating and demeaning forms of discipline. Violence against children in all its manifestations and across all institutions can be progressively eradicated via the comprehension, acceptance, and application of child rights.
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