RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani on Tuesday regretted that over two dozens laws at both provincial and federal levels regarding child protection and children rights are not being implemented properly.

Speaking at a panel discussion on Child Protection Agenda 2017, organised by a local human rights organisation, he said that the failure of the governance at different levels has plagued the country and all resources of the state are not being used for the welfare of the masses; rather the people are being exploited for the vested interests.

“The state will have to act and cannot turn a blind eye to the rights of the children,” he added.

He said that effective implementation on the existing laws with regard to the child protection including child labour and underage marriages can substantially improve the situation but this is not possible without the active role of the state and state institutions which are not ready to act at present.

He said that the provincial and federal institutions responsible for implementation of these laws are not even in a position to give the details of these laws, adding the issue of child protection cannot be eradicated without understanding its context as it is closely associated with the poverty and ignorance in the society.

Rabbani said that Senate has adopted a bill unanimously on ‘unattended orphans” which was subsequently sent to the National Assembly but it has not been considered as yet. He said, “We are now planning to move the said draft bill during the joint sitting of the Parliament.”

He said that Senate is very much alive to such important issues; however, the parliamentarians can further be sensitised.

He said, “We mostly take up the issue when it comes to the limelight but a proper follow-up is missing.”

The Senate chairman said that the issues regarding the child protection and child marriages must be taken up in the Council of Common Interests (CCI) and blame for failure of the different institutions should not be put on the 18th Amendment as many of such issues are very chronic in nature.

He said that the state of Pakistan is in the hands of the ruling elite which wants to maintain a status quo and is not willing to accept that the country is governed as per aspirations of the people. The human rights organisations are the only oxygen available to the society and if these institutions are compromised, it would be disastrous for the country.

He said that efforts have been made to make the Senate of Pakistan a transparent institution; however, all the segments of the society should play a collective role to overcome the serious issues confronting the country.