Abdullah Malik
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly of the Parliament passed a resolution of public hanging for those who will accuse of sexual abuse death of children moved by the Minister Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan although the resolution passed by the assembly was opposed both by Minister for Science and technology Chudhri Fawad Hussain and minister for human rights Shireen Mazari termed it barbaric and in violation of the basic human rights. The non-governmental organization working on child protection data shows that from Jan-June, 2019 around 1304 children faced sexual abused in which 729 are girls while 575 are boys.
The data further shows that the biggest province of the country in sense of population Punjab have more number child sexual abuse cases which are 625 after Punjab Sindh province have more number of cases which are 458 adding Islamabad have 90 cases of child sexual abuse, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa have 51, Baluchistan have 32, AJ&K have 18 while 3 cases reporter from Gilgit Baltistan. Last year after brutal rape of Zainab Ansari in Kasur district of Lahore by Imran who was later hanged in front of Zainab Ansari”s father but the sexual abuse cases against children are increasing in country not decreasing even after hanging of Imran the rapist of Zainab Ansari. To dig the matter we put the same questions to those who are working on child protection in Pakistan that whether public hanging is the solution or not?
Mumtaz Gohar is working on child protection in Pakistan since a decade while talking to Frontier Post he termed this move barbaric and emotional. He told that as a nation we always respond to issues emotionally that’s why no fruitful results come out of it. He added that this resolution passed in that emotional response which will never decrease cases against children in Pakistan.
Shouldering responsibility on government low efforts for child protection he added that the government always formulate laws and then shouldered responsibility on judiciary that they will implement it now but where the government stands Gohar questioned and added that there is no awareness campaign any where even in text books the government failed to form special courts for children and there are no mechanism on social media who are promoting child pornography. He added that government departments have no proper statistics of the effected children as well those who have attraction toward the child abuse. He concluded that this is a sensitive issue and we need to take practical steps while take on board all relevant stake holders.
Imran Takkar hails from KP and working child protection in the province. In an exclusive interview with Frontier Post he added that I don’t know why we feel need of this resolution if the country laws already suggested capital punishment for death. He added that unfortunately the government passed an act on child protection in 2010 but now practical approach was adopted on the act till yet to shelter our children from sexual abuse. Takkar suggested police and other administrative reforms as well country wide awareness to counter child sexual abuse.
