New York, 28 June 2024 (TDI): Pakistan expressed deep concern over Child Rights violations at the United Nations (UN). The UN Secretary-General’s report details about 32,990 verified cases.
Pakistan has stated that children living under foreign occupation are particularly vulnerable to human rights violations and children’s rights abuses.
Children in Palestine and IIOJK
Ambassador Munir Akram spoke during the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict. He criticized the report for its persistent and glaring failure and selective omission of the plight of children in Palestine and IIOJK despite their ongoing suffering under foreign occupation.
Furthermore, he said that despite the killing of 14,000 children in the Gaza war, it took significant pressure for Israel to be included in the report. The plight of children in IIOJK was unjustly omitted.
Kashmiri children have grown up in an environment of violence, repression, and fear. He noted that the humanitarian crisis for Kashmiri children worsened after India’s unilateral actions in August 2019.
Call for Action
Ambassador Akram called for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and several Special Rapporteurs of the Human Rights Council to be granted access to IIOJK to investigate massive violations of human rights.
He requested the Special Rapporteur to investigate the whereabouts and condition of the 13,000 Kashmiri youth detained after August 5, 2019.
Moreover, Pakistan provided the United Nations with a comprehensive dossier of 3,432 cases of war crimes. Cases included crimes against women and children committed by senior officers of the Indian occupying forces.
These violations were corroborated with audio and video evidence. Numerous cases of crimes against Kashmiri children were included, he said.
Additionally, he stated that the UN Secretary-General’s report last year rightly urged India to implement measures to protect children. India was prohibited from using lethal and non-lethal force, ending the use of pellet guns and preventing the ill-treatment of children in detention.
Pakistan’s Commitment to Child Protection
Ambassador Akram affirmed that Pakistan is fully committed to implementing its provisions as one of the earliest signatories to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. He noted that extensive legal, policy, and operational measures have been adopted to protect children.
So far, Pakistan has established a National Committee on Child Protection and appointed a national focal person last year.
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He concluded that Pakistan will continue to engage with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General SRSG’s office. However, Pakistan is committed to further strengthening child protection in Pakistan in line with its national framework and international obligations.
