By Our Reporter

ISLAMABAD, Aug 22: Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc) has condemned the murder of two boys and demanded trial and exemplary punishment to police officials and sought a complete overhaul of the Punjab police department. Talking to mediapersons here on Sunday, Sparc Executive Director Arshad Mahmood and National Manager, Juvenile Justice, Abdullah Khoso said the murder of two brothers, Hafiz Mughees Butt, 15, and Hafiz Muneeb Butt, 17, was a brutal act.

Both the brothers were beaten to death by a ruthless and savage mob in Sialkot on August 15. Regrettably, the police allegedly handed over the boys to the people who killed them to settle an old score.

Both the boys were caught by a dozen of people suspecting them to be robbers. They were kept in the Rescue 1122 office of Sialkot for a while after their capture.

In the meantime, the Sialkot DPO and other police officials also reached the rescue office. In their presence, the people, who were the real player behind this tragic drama, went aggressive and sought the custody of the children.

Sparc Executive Director Arshad Mahmood said police officials instead of providing protection to the children handed them over to the mob that showed that the police officials were also involved in the murder of the two brothers.

In the criminal justice system, all alleged offenders have the basic right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty in the public court, he added.

National Manager, Juvenile Justice, Abdullah Khoso said that during jail visits in Punjab, majority of the juveniles detained in jails said that they were behind bars because their parents could not grease the palm of police. They also said that they were brutally beaten by the police at Thanas for weeks and months.

Sparc representative also blamed judicial system for mob justice. They said when judiciary failed to provide justice these incidents of unruly mob justice would take place. “People are disappointed by the judicial system,” they said. Besides, these incidents are the failure of societal values in which individuals perform the role of onlookers of brutal murders.

Pakistan has ratified Convention Against Torture (CAT) and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 2010 which prohibit torture in any form, they said. “The ratification does not make any difference,” they said.

Sparc representatives said thorough review of the syllabus of police colleges and schools showed that police officials were never taught about human and child rights, and how to protect the rights of people. They are only taught physical exercises.

Therefore, besides trying and punishing all police officials for abetting the murder of the innocent children, the police department had to bring about complete overhaul in its system.

It should introduce child and human rights topics in its syllabus; and, in each district headquarter of Pakistan, a human rights officer of SP rank should be appointed and integrated human, women and child rights desk should be established which should have all necessary trainings and equipment.