Daily Times

KARACHI: Putting emphasis on raising awareness and imparting educating about defensive measures to fight child abuse, Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday urged all political parties to be on the same page for protection of the susceptible segments of society.

While addressing a press conference with singer Shehzad Roy and other social activists at Bilawal House Karachi, he said that Sindh government was taking all steps to include life skills-based education in curriculum across the province because awareness and education are the two most important tools.

“We cannot fight child abuse if our children don’t know how to protect themselves,” he said.

He said that the life skills-based education curriculum has been taken on at Fatima Jinnah Government School and it showed positive results, adding that Sindh government hoped to implement similar curriculum in 200 schools across the province.

The children should know how to protect themselves, their health, their body and going to relevant authorities, said PPP chairman.

About the Kasur incident, Bilawal said that “previously people were scared to speak [about child abuse] but now people are scared of not speaking out”.

To a question about the necessity of punishment in child abuse cases, Bilawal responded that punishment was necessary, but withstanding change was dependent on education and awareness.

Bilawal also shared that his party wanted an accountable police force. “Police should be apolitical but checks and balances are necessary as well,” he said.

Shehzad Roy will be with Sindh government in its efforts to fight child abuse among school-going children.

Before the press conference at Bilawal House, a meeting was conducted with party’s leaders, media officials. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and former president Asif Ali Zardari jointly presided over the meeting.

They said that PPP had always struggled for the democracy and its strengthening and would continue its efforts in this regard.

The meeting discussed the responsibilities of various information-related tiers of the party and stressed for the need of improvement in performance at all levels.

It was emphasized that media was another source of keeping in touch with the masses besides the direct contacts. “Hence relations with media persons may be further improved as both PPP and the media have fought jointly against dictatorial regimes hand in hand. The PPP will always stand for the freedom of press and expression of thoughts for the greater good of whole society and the country,” Bilawal said.

Published in Daily Times, January 16^th 2018.