Protecting our children

The government has finally decided to ban domestic child labour. This is a welcome step but it is still a long-drawn battle as a bill will be presented in parliament to outlaw the abhorrent but widely common practice which will be opposed, debated and might be finally passed.

Legislature is never the solution to societal problems as long as they are not implemented. The nation was shocked by the brutal rape and murder of Zainab Ansari. The culprit was swiftly executed and years later the Zainab Alert bill was passed for missing children. We are still unsure about the effectiveness of the law and the esteemed human rights minister has not provided any details.

The truth remains that children are still not safe in Pakistan. The hiring of minors as domestic servants is still prevalent. There has been no justice for Zohra Shah, a minor maid who was brutally tortured by her employers for merely releasing a parrot. Several others children are working as household help, often starved, underfed, and deprived of an education and a normal childhood.

There has no decline in sexual abuse of children either. We are still unable to rid society of this gruesome practice. Earlier this year, serial pedophile Sohail Ayaz was arrested in Rawalpindi. He worked in a government department and went undetected. There has been no update on the cases against him and what action has been taken.

In the latest incident, a retired teacher has been arrested on charges of sodomy after he was found sexually abusing his minor students. Sarang Shar, who runs a tuition centre in Khairpur, is a serial pedophile responsible for abusing over a hundred children and even filming them.

There were several complaints against him but he was considered an influential under a garb of a noble profession. He was well known in the local community, was part of social and educational movements and simply hid in plain sight. Although he has been nabbed, it needs to be seen what action will be taken against him.

We need to pass effective legislature and the human rights ministry needs to be more active. We need to acknowledge our ‘hidden shame’ and eradicate the menace. The hiring of children as domestic labour or any other work should be prohibited. All efforts must be made to our society safe for children where they have a secure upbringing. More efforts are required by the government and civil society for the safety and protection of children.