Unfortunately Children are not even safe in the hands of Parents

As usual another year came to end, buried along with it several bitter stories of humanity and humiliation. We witnessed many reports of violation of human rights from young to old and from toddlers to new born broods. We also came to the news of many significant personalities including government and private representatives enjoying conferences and executive meetings to shed the light on human rights, dignity and respect but all vein. Hence, 2017 remained an year of child violation and exploitation as many innocent children’ lives came to end earlier to begin. Most of the children were murdered by their parents and relatives. People made videos and uploaded them on media to show the world but no- body took any apprehend action on the spot against the violation and to save an innocent life. A number of such cases reported from different cities of Pakistan and mostly from Punjab. Behind that every case the murderer and killer was a father or a mother or both. In only one month, in December 4 cases of heart breaking news of children killing were reported from different cities. For instance; a 2 day child was thrown in the river. Few days ago a father threw a 2 year child from the roof of their home as the mother was insisting her husband to take the child to hospital as the child was not feeling well. The child commended death on the spot. Another incident took place In December 5, 2017 in a village of Punjab where a deaf girl was thrown into river by his father. Likewise we came a cross with another episode showing a father throwing his 3 children in the river. Unluckily we find several such unpleasant stories around us reported or hidden.

The commitment of Child Rights convention strongly confess to give every child the right to grow up in a safe environment without being exploited. The cruelest and wickedness action is to kill children in any case. In the holy Quran Allah The Almighty says, “You shall not kill your children due to fear of poverty. We provide for them, as well as for you. Killing them is a gross offense” AYAH al-Isra .

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) explains the most crucial responsibility of parents for raising their child, under the condition that they are guided by the best interests of the child (Art. 18), and that the child's well-being and development are their priority. The Convention also provides for the steps parents have to take in the best interests of the child and provides appropriate direction and guidance in the exercise of the child rights. (Art. 5). Further article 19 also visibly dictates to nurture children in a caring environment that is free from violence and humiliating punishment. To save the children from violence, the representatives of child rights must work at ground level by passing laws and by implementing them strictly at all levels. At legislative level strictest laws must be made to punish the monsters who commit such deplorable acts of killing children. The government of Pakistan must establish an independent commission to monitor, protect and promote rights of the children. This commission must be responsible to monitor child rights obligations and educating parents on human rights as fundamental step towards the promotion of child rights. Further government must arrange advocacy and awareness trainings and campaigns within communities. Similarly, Child Rights and Human Rights must be part of our national curriculum to reinforce parents’ responsibilities in this regard. Laws must be made at Legislative Assembly at provincial level that prohibits all kinds of violence of children from family settings to schools and communities.

In the end I would say that every one of us is obliged to take tangible steps to save our future generation in the country. This cause can be achieved by planning an integrated strategy including awareness raising plans and implementation of existing and new laws along with a political will by the government and political parties. This process should be started as soon as possible with the active participation of Non-Government organizations, social welfare organizations, trusts and social philanthropists and the public at all.