TLTP
ISLAMABAD
Pakistan has expressed commitment to protect human rights of all children. In a statement on Friday on the occasion of World Children Day, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said that Pakistan reaffirms the right of every child to grow, learn, play and flourish in a safe, responsive and friendly environment, free of distress, hunger, fear and oppression.
As a party to the CRC and its two optional Protocols, Pakistan is committed to upholding the promotion and protection of human rights of all children and fulfilling its national and international obligations in that regard.
He said that Pakistan has undertaken a range of institutional and legal measures to eliminate exploitation of children and their discrimination based on gender, religion and ethnicity.
He said, “We remain committed to eradicating the incidences of violence against children, child labour and forced marriages, while ensuring that the right to food, education, health and healthy environment is available to all children of the country.”
The spokesperson said the plight of children in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir should not be forgotten on this day. He said these children, living in one of the world’s largest prisons, deserve urgent attention from the international community, particularly the United Nations.
Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said the over fifteen month long physical and digital siege with frequent incidences of house demolitions, arbitrary detentions and use of force including through pellet guns have traumatized children in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the international community must be sensitive to the plight of oppressed children in the occupied territory and urge India to immediately stop its illegal and inhuman policies and practices that are in contravention of its own obligations under the convention on the rights of children.
