ISLAMABAD: The parents and all other stakeholders should play a vital role in creating enabling environment for providing child rights, said the Chairperson Chairperson National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) Afshan Tehseen Bajwa (NCRC) here on Saturday.
In an exclusive talk with APP on prevailing child rights situation and the Commission’s working, she was strongly urged the policymakers, government institutions, parents, and other civil society stakeholders to cover their efforts for ensuring equal rights to each child. Ms Bajwa said the National Commission on the Rights of Child was committed to provide an enabling environment for children to enjoy their rights with dignity.
She added that one of the core mandates of the Commission was to inquire into complaints of violations of Child Rights reported in the country. As per its mandate, the National Commission on the Rights of Child would continue to monitor situations and developments on child rights to propose required actions to safeguard children from abuse and exploitation, she added. She added that NCRC was working under the obligation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), where the government has constituted the Commission through a notification on February 28, 2020 under the Act of 2017.
She further added that the Convention on the Rights of the Child was an international human rights agreement that outlined the specific rights that children and young people could claim. Bajwa said, “It has power to take suo motu actions on serious cases of violation of child rights and to examine factors that inhibit the enjoyment of rights of children”. The National Commission on the Rights of Child also held consultation on legislative reforms across the country, she added.
“I am deeply shocked by this heinous act of barbarism in Mianwali, where a father killed his own daughter,” Bajwa said that the Commission is deeply concerned that patriarchal attitudes towards girls still prevail in our country and gender-based killings occur. Our religious leaders, influential personalities, and education system must play a crucial role in changing the mindset of parents, society, and the country to curb this menace and protect our children, especially girls.
She added the NCRC calls on religious scholars, parliamentarians, and all stakeholders to raise their voices so that this menace of infanticide can be stopped in the future. In addition, the state should take action to curb violence, intolerance, and extremism in society through education, awareness, and the rule of law, she added.