As the year 2014 draws to a close, Pakistan is still reeling from the horrific Taleban attack on a Peshawar school that claimed the lives of over 140 innocent children. While the attack was certainly disgusting and should be condemned, it was not entirely unexpected. For over a decade, Pakistan’s future generation has been victimized by not only terrorism, but also neglect from state authorities. The future of Pakistan’s children is at grave risk, mainly due to low investment in education, poor health facilities and poverty.
In recent years, polio has emerged as one of the biggest enemies of Pakistan’s future. The country’s fight against this crippling disease has faced setbacks due to attacks by insurgents on polio workers and war against militants that has displaced millions of people from the worst-hit northwest province. Only in this year, more than 200 new polio cases have so far been reported. Failure to overcome this disease, which has now been eliminated from most of the world, is a gross violation of children’s basic right to a healthy future. The government should monitor and review the effectiveness of a recently launched polio immunization drive on a priority basis. Any further delays in eradication of polio from Pakistan will simply be unforgiving and jeopardize the country’s future.
Although young heroes like Malala have received global acclaim for promoting education in Pakistan, the country largely fails to provide quality primary education to its children. While girls’ schools in particular have been previously attacked by Taleban, the government’s commitment to promoting education has remained dismal. According to statistics of the UN, almost half of all primary school age children and three quarters of young girls are not enrolled in the education system. The system in marred by lack of funds, ghost schools, political appointments of teachers and an outdated curriculum. The government must show seriousness in rescuing Pakistan’s ailing education sector to ensure the country’s global competitiveness. Equal learning opportunities for both male and female students should be guaranteed to accelerate national development.
In another example of government’s slow response to a humanitarian crisis, famine-like conditions in Thar have displaced millions of people and killed over 150 children. For the past three decades, the area has recorded highest number of children deaths under five years of age in Pakistan with 90 to 100 deaths per 1,000 live births.
In view of these shocking figures, the apathy of local administration in resolving problems of this poverty-stricken desert region is appalling. All backward areas of Pakistan, including Thar, deserve immediate attention to overcome the longstanding issues of acute poverty and malnutrition, low literacy levels and poor access to basic health care and education facilities.
By failing to tackle these issues, the future generation of Pakistan is being denied a fair chance of a bright and successful future. If the authorities fail to fulfill their responsibility, the children of today will rise up to question, “what was our fault...why has our future been put at stake?” This negligence is criminal and requires immediate action to protect the future of our children.
