Horrific. Despicable. Disgusting. The recent emergence of Pakistan’s largest child abuse scandal, in the small town of Kasur, deserves wide condemnation and strict action against the culprits. It is mind numbing how a child abuse ring blackmailing, torturing and sexually exploiting about 300 children since 2006 had gone unnoticed. The abuse has traumatized the victims and left their families shattered.
For a long time, child rights has remained a neglected priority in the country as government has failed to commit adequate resources, build institutional capacity and show political willingness to tackle this issue. It is, therefore, not surprising that such ugly incidents have made headlines to bring shame to Pakistan.
The knee jerk reaction of provincial government in hiding the magnitude of this scandal was rather unfortunate as a local party member allegedly patronized this child abuse mafia. Even more appalling is the point scoring by politicians around this incident and role of police in trying to hush up the matter as a land dispute.
Living in a state of denial will not do us any good.
We can make excuses, shift the blame and hide behind facts, but it will inevitably only deteriorate child rights situation in Pakistan. We cannot disassociate ourselves from this pervasive problem. We are all part of a broader culture that blames and shames the victim. Consequently, the victims are afraid to break silence and pursue action against their abusers. We have failed our children. We have not just let them down, but have once again shown our inability to commit to a safe and secure future for them. As reflected by the slow progress in most of Millennium Development Goals, it is a pity that Pakistan is not doing enough to safeguard future of its children by providing adequate health, education and security for them.
The Kasur incident should not be seen in isolation as it mirrors a much wider problem in our society. According to statistics of War Against Rape (WAR), a non-governmental organization, more than 2,800 cases of child sexual abuse were reported across Pakistan last year. Another report points out “in Pakistan, children less than 18 years of age are falling prey to sexual abuse at the ratio of 6 children per day.”
As expected, most of the victims are female children, while Afghan refugees and street children are also at a much higher risk of being sexually exploited. Considering the social stigma and taboo of sexual abuse, weak judicial system and low protection provided to abuse victims, these staggering figures barely reflect the true state of minor rights in Pakistan.
This child abuse scandal is a test for the government, judiciary and civil society. It will challenge the government’s resolve to apply existing child protection laws and bring all perpetrators of this harrowing crime to justice.
While a judicial inquiry ordered by the government is already underway, it is imperative that the Court sentences these offenders to exemplary punishment.
With one of the main accused belonging to political elite, the case is also a trial for equal application of law. As a society, we must raise our voice against an oppressive system and strive to change the cultural norms that humiliate victims, forcing them to live in extreme mental trauma.
