Azad Jammu & Kashmir government should legislate & enact the Bills for Child Protection in State of AJ&K to ensure the rights of Kashmiri Children.
Khurram Jamal Shahid, Coordinator CRM Kashmir
Muzaffarabad (Mubashar Naqvi)
Human rights are the basic standards that people need to live in dignity. In addition to the rights that are available to all people, there are special rights that apply only to children because of their unique needs. The constitution of Pakistan as well as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by Pakistan, provide rights for children. These rights are related to education, freedom of expression, freedom of thought and protection from violence, exploitation, abuse and maltreatment etc.
In State of Azad Jammu & Kashmir still no any bill passed which may ensure the rights of the Kashmiri children. Due to no existence of the child rights related laws in Azad Jammu & Kashmir; the children are suffering with early & forced child marriages, child abuses, domestic and other type of child labour and no access to basic education, health and protection rights. Due to no existence of law in the state we have no way to protect the rights of the children nor we can go to any court. UNICEF has initiated a Child Protection Policy in 2010 with the collaboration of AJ&K Social Welfare & Women Development department (SW&WD) but till now it’s not legislated from the legislative Assembly. In this context Sustainable Development Organization (SDO) through its Forum of Child Rights Movement (CRM), Kashmir urged that AJ&K government should legislate / enact the Child Protection Bill to ensure the Rights of Kashmiri Children. Khurram Jamal Shahid, the CRM Kashmir Coordinator urged that AJK Government should also legislate “Child Marriage Prohibition Bill” and “Corporal Punishment Bill” like four provinces of Pakistan to stop the forced and early marriages, ban on child labour and Prohibition of corporal punishment in Azad Kashmir. Furthermore its need that Government of Azad Jammu & Kashmir should establish a separate department for Child Welfare & development so as to proper address the issues and bridging the gaps to promote the child rights.
