Child Violence in Pakistan



Children are not only the easiest to intimidate, they're also the cheapest workers. Twelve-year-old Tariq, one of thousands employed in Pakistan's soccer ball industry, which produces five million balls a year for the U.S. market, stitches leather pieces in Mahotra. He earns 60 cents a ball, and it takes most of a day to make one (Schanberg, 1996:38). 





Child Labour done in factories and industries



Akbar, 12, makes drums for washing machines in a factory in Pakistan.  

Children being used in small hotels of Pakistan as waiters and providing other services.

One of the major issues related to child violence that is being faced in Pakistan and other Asian countries is Child trafficking. Child trafficking is the illegal transport of a child from one place to another. It could be within the country or across the international borders. Child trafficking is done by deception our other form of illegal method for the use of exploitation. Exploitation includes child labour and transfer of child’s organs.

Child trafficking is present in all the provinces of Pakistan but according to SPARC Sindh is the major source and Karachi being the destination of child trafficking. The nature of child trafficking is different in NWFP where female children are the victims and are sold for marriages. Now in NWFP it is a custom to sell female children under the age of 18 as brides. When going across the borders, children are trafficked for recreational activities such as camel jockeys. People involved in child trafficking make false promises and take them abroad for camel jockeys and other sports related stuff.

Sexual exploitation is the worst form of Child Violence in Pakistan, and the most painful thing is that in spite of forming so many laws and policies for its prevention it still exists. The exact magnitude of the problem is difficult to ascertain as there is gross under reporting because of the shame associated with it.

"One child below 16 years is raped every 155th minute, a child below 10 every 13th hour, and one in every 10 children is sexually abused at any point in time."

 (HAQ 2005)

Pakistan being a developing country and having an illiteracy rate reaching sky heights, more than half of its population does not understand the gravity of this form of violence. Even if people do, they just do not care. According to facts, most abuses have had been a victim of this crime themselves. If an individual is emotionally affected or disturbed, they stop to think rationally and often give no value to anyone’s dignity or innocence. Hence if such violence prevails, one can only imagine the rapid rise it would give to potential abuses. However no matter what the amount of abused children is, even if it’s one percent, no child deserves such a life, it should come to a halt.

Azaadi Flood March

The year 2010 saw Pakistan being the victim of heavy Monsoon floodings; which have taken hundreds of thousands of innocent lives so far, with thousands more on the verge of dying. Earlier the 2005 earthquake completely shaked up the northern areas of the country, the aftermaths of which wasn’t fully recovered yet that the country suffered another major natural disaster in the form of "Floods". Due to this 2010 would be remembered as one of the most disastrous years in the history of Pakistan. An estimate of 20 million people has become homeless with no clothes to wear, food to eat and water to drink. In addition to this high levels if standing water in the streets have resulted in the breakout of many fatal diseases, most common ones being cholera and malaria.

In such times of hardships, the people of Pakistan have shown great support for the flood affected people in face of the slow moving government. They have continued to carry out relentless efforts in collecting donations for those in need. However it would be unfair here to mention the efforts of the youth of this country, who are working day and night to help these people in whatever way they can, especially the students of SZABIST.

Dressed in green and white, the national colors of Pakistan, the students of SZABIST UNITE took the pioneering lead in organizing three Flood Marches to raise funds for the flood victims. Each March was a combined effort of the students.

Bemisal Iqbal, one of the leads students in the organizing of Relief Camp is reported to have said, "Szabistians have always been involved in such initiatives. We've had numerous collections in the form of cash and good, and we now plan to leave to the affected areas as soon as possible to make sure that all this collected gets delivered to the right people".

The first Flood March was organized on the 14th of August, from Szabist to Dou Talwar Clifton. More than 300 students participated and in only two hours collected Rs. 112,500. At the end of the march, the students were joined by "Rahnuma" the student organization from Indus Valley. The day ended with students forming a circle around Dou Talwar and singing the national anthem. The second March was carried out the very next day on the 15th of August although this time a lesser number of students were witnessed. Even with a few students short, in less than two hours' time more than Rs. 200,000 was collected. However the third March was carried out on the 18th of August, was perhaps the largest one in which not only Szabistians but also students from other institutes participated. The March was a huge success and in just over an hour Rs. 302, 250 were collected.

The students of Szabist are an inspiration to all institutions of this country. This is proven by the fact that students of schools and colleges from all over the city started relentless efforts in helping the flood victims by collecting donations on all the major spots of the city such as Park Towers and Forum. Together, we shall rise above in this time of grief and sorrow for the millions who have been affected.

Conclusively, it is important to note that today we are in a similar situation as we were in 1947; the only difference is, at that people were in need of a nation, now nation is in need of its people. So come, let us join hands together to help rebuild Pakistan.

'Let us rise above and donate our hearts out'

Youth-Hood . . . An Unforgettable Journey of Our Life!

In this lifetime we all experience different and exciting journeys. Childhood-the beginning of our life where one lives a dependent and totally nonchalant/heedless life, Adult Hood-an independent stage of life where one’s worn-out tools are experience, wisdom and maturity. And in between these two stages comes the most memorable and enchanted journey of life- the “Youth Hood”. It is, after all, just a moment, but it’s the moment, the spark, that we always carry in our heart.

Youth has no age span, it can stay in you as long as you feel young. It’s in your heart and in your mind. Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty and anyone who has the ability to see beauty never grows old. As Henry Longfellow has said, “How beautiful is youth! How bright it gleams with its illusions, aspirations, dreams! Book of Beginnings, Story without End, Each maid a heroine and each man a friend.”
So, what is “Youth Hood”?. Youth is when you dare to look into the eyes of the world, when you look at life from your point of view, when you try to solve the problems your way, when you have too many  questions but no answers, when your life’s moto becomes “Do or Die”, when pleasure is in climbing the walls rather than using the open gates, when “Whys” and “Hows” keep popping in your mind, when you think your parent’s are the ATM machine, when “cool” and “hot” are the only adjectives you remember, when FASHION becomes the first priority, when flying without wings seems worth a try, when you laugh in the face of danger and of course when Love is everywhere and studies. Nowhere! If you start experiencing all this then….Hey Welcome to Youth Hood!!! A lifetime to go flashing from one end of the world to the other, to hear the chimes at midnight, to see the sunrise in town and country, to wait for the dark and gloomy night just to see the twinkling stars, to run a mile to see a fire and to take the sunny side of the road instead of the shady one….This is what we call Youth hood.

Youth are always challenging and daring. Young men desire to invent than to judge, to execute than to counsel and are more fit for new projects than for settled business. But then again, youth is not a time period of life, it’s a state of mind. It’s not a matter of rosy and pink cheeks and red lips. It’s a matter of will, quality of imagination, a vigor of emotions. It’s the freshness of the deep springs of life. It does not require reasons for living. It only needs pretexts.
 
As a whole, youth is the one who keeps its country alive, determined, sound and prosperous. It is surely the strength and hope of a nation. We live in an age when to be young and to be different can no longer be synonymous. We must prepare for the coming hour. The claims of the future are represented by suffering millions; and the Youth of a nation are the trustees of prosperity. Youth is the first victim of war; the first fruit of peace. It takes 20 years or more of peace to make a man; it takes only 20 seconds of war to destroy him.