Human rights groups have urged the government to tackle violence against children.
The discussion on the matter was organized by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc).
Participants said that the government must make serious efforts; otherwise more barbaric incidents towards the younger generation will continue to happen.
They also questioned the use of corporate punishment in settings such as homes, care institutions, boarding facilities, educational institutions, religious education institutions, police stations, workplaces and prisons.
In addition, they stressed that legalization on the Sindh Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill should come as soon as possible, but such changes lies with the law department for vetting.
According to Aftab Inayat, additional secretary of education, this law would soon be approved by the assembly and following this agreement, her department will monitor the practices of all educational and religious institutions.
Advocate Zia Awan said that civil society should encourage political parties into including child rights in their policies.
Suhail Ahmed Abro from Sparc, believes that those in authority may excuse their violence by claiming their actions will improve the morals of their victims.
He told the Dawn newspaper, “There are lacunas in the penal law. Section 89 of the Pakistan Penal Code provides immunity to any actions done in welfare of children. Hence, provision of this section is exploited by violators, especially teachers, guardians, and parents, to escape prosecution in case of inflicting punishment on children.”
Mr Abro said that two of the laws dealing with punishment towards children did not address this issue directly.
He added that there was ‘just an indirect reference to it’ and that there was a strong need to develop a method to examine cases of corporal punishment in all settings and the government must help in doing this.
