The Kasur incident

A lot has been written on what was happening in a village near Kasur for the last 15 years. Child molestation is an issue that has to be tackled at the national level. Such unholy practices take place everywhere in country, especially in smaller towns and in rural areas. Most of the time they are not even reported for reasons Such as family honour, the child’s future, etc.
Now that this incident has been highlighted at the national level it is hoped that those involved will be awarded exemplary punishment to prevent such incidents in the future.
Cdre (r) Sajjad Ali Shah Bokhari
Islamabad

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Twenty-five years after we ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, laws to protect and shelter children from sexual abuse and violence are still missing. We are perturbed over the recent Kasur tragedy. Unfortunately, our media noticed the incident very late, but at last, the Punjab government took strong action and all culprits are in jail. There is no crime more heinous than sexual abuse of children. Therefore the need for effective and strong legislation to protect the future of the country’s children from sexual abuse and other related violence is all the more necessary and urgent.
Two bills – the Charter of Child Rights bill and the Protection of Children Bill – that have been tabled in parliament in 2009 are still waiting for implementation. The protection of child rights in our country can be achieved through these two national child protection bills. The two bills commit the federal government to take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect children while the latter makes sexual abuse of children, corporal punishment and child marriage offences punishable by imprisonment and/or fines. The Protection of Children Bill also provides for the setting up of a network of child protection institutions. Now, after the Kasur tragedy, it is time to enact all child protection bills and protect the future of our country from sexual and other related offences.
Aijaz Ali Khuwaja
Karachi