perspective- child protection - Page 8

Juvenile Offenders in Punjab

The total number of convicted and undertrial juveniles imprisoned in various borstal institutes and jails of Punjab province was 645 as on 15 March 2022 (Prisons Department, Govt. of Punjab). Out of the total number of juvenile offenders, 81% (523) juveniles were on trial (under trial) and 19% were convicted juvenile offenders. All juvenile offenders were male and no female…

Permitted age for employment of children as domestic workers

Do you know what the minimum age is for children in the different provinces of Pakistan to be employed as domestic workers? Child labour is a provincial subject in Pakistan after the 18th Constitutional Amendment in 2010. The 18th Constitutional Amendment devolved the issue of labour and employment to the…

Ghost Schools

KARACHI: Apropos the letter “Ghost Teachers” published on September 19, 2024, the…

Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 and Jinnah

The Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 was drafted by Quaid-i-Azam- Mohammad Ali…

LHC Sets Rules For Juvenile Safety

LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Ali Zia Bajwa has directed the government to establish observation homes to provide safe shelter for juveniles in every district. Instructing the government to ensure prompt implementation of the Juvenile Act in a judgment, Justice Bajwa issued eight directives, observing that the physical separation…

The Unfortunate Trend Of Child Marriage

Child Marriage, one of the unfortunate and rampant trends, takes place in several parts of the country despite being prohibited under the relevant laws. Child marriage is a serious violation of children’s rights, something that ensures gender inequality. Young girls, in particular, are denied to enjoy their rights to education…

Missing Priya Kumari

The disturbing case of missing seven-year-old Priya Kumari has sparked a wave of concern and action from her parents and civil society, who have reiterated their demands for transparency and urgency in the investigation. During a protest sit-in at Teen Talwar in Karachi last week, they called on the Joint…

Child Marriage Plagues Minor Girls

The rocky years of adolescence are rarely a smooth sail for budding adults, with sudden physical, emotional, and psychological changes taking a huge toll on their overall wellbeing. While an awkward pimple or emotional breakdown might exhaust an average teenager coping with the upsetting effects of puberty, for minor girls…

A Silent Epidemic: Child Sexual Abuse in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Thirteen-year-old Asim* was quieter than usual when he returned to his home in Jhelum from a motorcycle mechanic’s workshop after completing his first day as a chotu – a term widely used for apprentices. His father, a rickshaw driver, noticed but casually asked about his day at his new workplace…

Little Ones at Work

It is deeply unfortunate that millions of Pakistani children endure poverty and are forced into labor, a harsh reality that has persisted for years. These children work in factories due to dire economic conditions, often in extreme heat without basic rights like food or education. Imagine a child carrying heavy…

Minors for sale

THE curse of human trade has a doubly odious form child trafficking. Pakistan, too, is haunted by this ugly reality: its minors, boys and girls, have often been treated as commodities in this repellant business. It is in this context that the recent arrest of rights activist Sarim Burney on…

TheCase for Revitalizing Remand Homes in Sindh

ON a cold morning in 1937, a remand home was inaugurated in Karachi under the Bombay Children Act, 1924. This remand home was later shifted to near Central Jail in Karachi, and is now functioning in accordance with the Sindh Children Act, 1955, and the Sindh Remand Homes Rules, 2011.…

Child-friendly courts

IN a country where the child rights debate has been a belated one, it is heartening to note that a recent Supreme Court judgement calls for the state to establish child-friendly courts with specially trained judges. The apex court recognised that the welfare of minors should be `the foundational principle`…

Child Marriages – A Vicious Cycle of Poverty and Abuse

KARACHI: Despite being illegal, child marriages continue to affect millions of young lives, perpetuating cycles of poverty, gender bias, and inequality. According to a study, 18 percent of girls in Pakistan get married before the age of 18, leading to severe consequences on their health, education, and overall well-being. This…