The International Children’s Day (observed on Nov 20) should remind us that a great number of children live in abject poverty.

Children are most vulnerable to a lot of miseries such as wars, climate change hazards, natural calamities, etc. Children are easy prey to disease due to an acute shortage of safe water and food security.

According to the UNICEF, 25,000 children die due to starvation. Due to food scarcity and illiteracy, millions of children are under severe threat of being perished.
Therefore, such a global awakening day should highlight the fact that children are human capital and that they should be given focused care and attention.

SANAULLAH A CHINJNI
Islamabad

Pakistan’s role
Children in Pakistan constitute almost half of the population of the country but are deprived of basic necessities and are extremely vulnerable.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child while considering Pakistan’s consolidated third and fourth periodic report observed that the concluding observations of the second periodic report have not yet been implemented or insufficiently implemented, including those relating to the harmonisation of the laws with the Convention, improved coordination and the national and local levels, the establishment of a monitoring mechanism, resource allocation for children among other steps.

This is an indication that Pakistan’s progress has been weak on most counts.On October 30, during the universal periodic review of Pakistan Human Rights council has suggested 163 recommendations to the Government of Pakistan for improving situation of Human Rights in Pakistan, more than 50 per cent of the recommendations are related to children rights.

As citizen of Pakistan and Child Rights activist, I request the Government of Pakistan to consider recommendations of international bodies and consider the passing of the Charter of Child Rights Bill, the Criminal Laws Amendment (Child Protection) Bill, the National Commission on the Rights of Children Bill, the Child Marriages Restraint Amendment Bill and the Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill.

Moreover, federal and provincial governments must increase budgetary allocations in health, education and children-specific scheme, programmes and projects so that the welfare of the children of Pakistan is ensured.

DR IRSHAD DANISH
Islamabad