=> ISLAMABAD (December 14 2007): Children are recruit
ISLAMABAD (December 14 2007): Children are recruited by tribal lords, various religious sects, gangsters and political parties as militancy affects them in two ways, one as victims and the other as potential militants. The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc) chairman Qazi Asmat Isa said this while talking to Business Recorder here on Thursday.
Speaking at the annual conference titled “Child Militancy in Pakistan” Sparc chairman said that in over 20 countries, children are direct participants in war. They are denied their childhood and often subjected to horrific violence, and an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 children are serving as soldiers for both rebel groups and government forces in armed conflicts.
Child militancy in Pakistan is a major issue and even though there is limited information on the subject, several recent incidents indicate that the problem is growing. Moreover ‘Lal Masjid’ incident in which children directly took part in the operation and the May 12 incident of Karachi where the youth and children were seen on television carrying guns show the intensity of the problem, the chairman said.
The ongoing military operations in the tribal areas and Swat have led to the arrest of several teenagers whose whereabouts were not known as children are kidnapped or pressurised to joining the combat forces and there are indications of the role of some ‘Madrassas’ in recruiting them, he said.
Sharing his thoughts, the chief guest former justice Nasir Aslam Zahid said, “Pakistan should be a welfare state to avoid serious issues such as child militancy”. He emphasised that education is the only way to develop a nation on the basis of equality and justice”, he said.
Deputy Country Director of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation Nicole Ruder said that the tragedy in Pakistan was that child militants are brain washed that they are doing good for themselves, their family and religion and then made to do things which cause deaths and destruction.
The Sparc carried out three rapid assessments in Dera Ghazi Khan, interior Sindh and NWFP to get some basic information on elements of militancy in these areas and the findings showed that different types of militancy exist in different areas, they said.
“But the important question is what is the role of these little boys and girls who are being trained, coerced, or brainwashed to kill with impunity’ said Fazila Gulrez, Promotion Manager Sparc in her overview on child militancy in Pakistan.
Speaking on a ‘Rapid Assessment’ carried out by Sparc on the impact of tribal rivalry in Sindh, Salam Dharejo highlighted that tribal conflict in upper belt of Sindh have been taking place for the last two decades killing hundreds of persons including women and children.
Over 20 tribes and clans in 10 districts of Sindh are at war with each other. Neither the media nor the government or civil society has yet taken notice of these conflicts in which children are systematically taught to use weapons and to fight for revenge and all social sectors including education, health, are totally destroyed, he informed.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:12/14/2007
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