Islamabad: The experts 30-January-2025 underscored the need for tweaking laws handling missing children cases and avoiding de-criminalisation of the victims. They called for action against the perpetrator of abuse and violence against the missing children.
They were speaking at a policy seminar on issues pertaining to child abuse and missing children to overcome violence against juvenile and enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies to play a proactive role in a safer and better environment for children. The seminar was jointly organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and Roshni Helpline, dedicated to the cause of the missing children.
Dr. Shafqat Munir, Deputy Executive Director of SDPI, said that it is a matter of concern that the issue of missing children in Pakistan is persisting despite enough legislation which shows that there would be some flaws and lapse in terms of definition and jurisdiction issues around missing children. He called for further public awareness, and improved investigation leading to the profiling of the perpetrators behind the missing children. He pointed out the critical role of the police in addressing missing children cases and urged for enhanced training to improve response time to act to find the missing children.
Muhammad Ali, Executive Director of Roshni Helpline, shared the organization’s ongoing efforts since its inception in 1999, influenced by the tragic incident in which a serial killer Javed Iqbal admitted killing 100 children.
Published in News Daily on 01-February-2025.
