Islamabad, January 20, 2020 (PPI-OT): The Senate Special Committee on Child Protection in its meeting held on Monday at Parliament Lodges, discussed in detail formulation of Terms of Reference of the Committee. Chaired by Senator Rubina Khalid, the meeting was attended by Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmed, Senator Muhammad Ali Khan Saif and Mr. Naveed Zada Khan Law Officer from the Ministry of Law and Justice.
Chairperson Committee revealed that the Committee was setup on the special directives of the Chairman Senate, Senator Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani and is intended to review the issue of child abuse in great detail; especially in connection with reference to the incident that took place in a Mansehra Seminary. She stressed the need for sensitization of the people of Pakistan and said that we as a society must play our role.
She urged the media to play its role and highlight all such cases that take place in Pakistan. She showed concern regarding cases of child abuse in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa not being highlighted enough by the media. Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmed was of the view that senior members of the local community must watch over children of their area. Parents must ensure they have information of their children’s whereabouts and the company they keep.
Senator Muhammad Ali Saif lamented the tilt of society towards religiosity, deeming it a major factor in rise of crime in the country. To bring change, he asserted that the true essence of Islam must be understood. He stressed the sensitization of both men and women in Pakistan and said that it was important to focus also on children living in suburbs. He stressed the need to take PEMRA on board to ensure that channels run programs that spread awareness to the masses regarding this issue.
He asserted that conflict in laws is a major impediment in bringing justice. Focussing on loopholes in the law is imperative for success. He recommended that the heads of Wafaq Ul Madaris must be taken on board. The Committee recommended that the Zainab Alert, Recovery and Response Bill and TORs of the previously formed committee must be studied minutely. The Committee will visit Abbottabad on Wednesday to probe the case and get details regarding the stage of investigation it is at. It will also meet the victim’s parents to assure them of the Committee’s all out support.
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H.No.7, Cat-II, G-8/2,
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