Voice Of Children

ISLAMABAD (AP) - A Pakistani judge dismissed an attempted murder charge Saturday that police lodged against a 9-month-old boy, ending a bizarre case that drew new criticism to the country's troubled criminal justice system.

The family of toddler Mohammad Musa had kept the boy in hiding after authorities pressed charges accusing him of trying to kill police officers after a neighborhood brawl in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore. Judge Rafaqat Ali Qamar dropped the case against the boy during a hearing in which police announced they would no longer pursue the charges, defense lawyer Irfan Tarar said.

"The father of toddler produced him before the judge today," Tarar said. "The boy was in the arms of his father when police submitted a report, stating they have dropped the charge against the boy."

Qamar also reprimanded police in court, demanding a written explanation about why officers did not properly investigate the case, Tarar said.

The case stems from an incident Jan. 31, when power company officials went into the boy's neighborhood to disconnect illegal power lines allowing people to get electricity to their homes without paying for it. Such pilferage is common in Pakistan, and attempts to disconnect customers can be met with violence.

Police said in this case, neighbors threw stones at energy company officials and their officers. The boy's grandfather, Malik Muhammed Yaseen, earlier told The Associated Press that neighborhood women attacked the police with batons only after officers mistreated residents.

That altercation sparked police to open an attempted murder investigation into 30 people in the neighborhood, including the father of the toddler and his son, police officer Atif Zulfiqar said earlier this week.

Yaseen said police came to his house multiple times looking for the boy. He said the family told police that the boy was less than a year old, but officers demanded they take him to court. The boy received bail and wept as police took his fingerprints.

The case highlighted the country's dysfunctional criminal justice system, where even children are not immune. Pakistan's police, widely criticized as improperly trained and ill-equipped, is routinely accused of torturing suspects and extorting people for bribes. Flaws in the country's legal system and poor police investigations often see criminals and terrorists released, while militants routinely target officers in their attacks.

The boy's parents could not be reached for comment Saturday after the judge's decision, but Tarar said the toddler's whole family was very happy.

"After today's court order, the 9-month-old boy is free to live anywhere," he said. "This case is an eye opener, and we hope and expect that police will avoid any repeat of such mistakes."

Muhammad QasimTuesday, November 12, 2013 
From Print Edition

Rawalpindi

Every 30 seconds, a child somewhere in the world, dies of pneumonia, making it number one global cause of childhood mortality. In Pakistan, an estimated seven million cases of pneumonia occur every year and out of these, as many as 92,000 children die before their fifth birthday due to the infection. At least 85 out of 1,000 children die under the age of five in Pakistan and it is alarming that most of these deaths are unfortunately due to vaccine preventable diseases including pneumonia.

Pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs. It is caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi (germs). The viruses and bacteria that are commonly found in a child’s nose or throat can infect the lungs if they are inhaled. They may also spread via air-borne drops from a cough or sneeze.

Children whose immune systems are compromised are at higher risk of developing pneumonia. Infants and children below two years of age are at higher risk of contracting pneumonia as their immune systems are still developing, said Head of Community Medicine at CMH Lahore Medical College Professor Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Chaudhry while talking to ‘The News’ in connection with World Pneumonia Day being observed on November 12 (today). He said that World Pneumonia Day is observed to raise awareness of pneumonia as a public health issue and help prevent millions of avoidable deaths from the infection that occur each year. “The theme of this year is: “Innovation” highlighting innovative solutions to end childhood pneumonia while at the same time emphasising that there are existing simple interventions that need to reach the most vulnerable children.”

Dr. Ashraf said that pneumonia is preventable and treatable with host of proven interventions, including exclusive breastfeeding infants in their first six months of life, ensuring an environment free of indoor air pollution and promoting frequent hand washing, immunising against leading causes, and ensuring access to medical care and antibiotics when cases do emerge. He said that appropriately treating underlying causes such as malnutrition, and exclusively breast-feeding children for the first six months of their life can decrease the risk of pneumonia.

He believes that a child’s immune system may be weakened by malnutrition or under nourishment, especially in infants who are not exclusively breastfed for the first six months of their life.

He said that more than 50 per cent children under five years of age are malnourished in Pakistan. HIV infections and measles also increase child’s risk of contracting pneumonia. Environmental factors such as indoor air pollution caused by cooking fires and heating with biomass fuels such as wood or dung, a coal, living in crowded homes and parental smoking also increase a child’s susceptibility to pneumonia, he said.

He pointed out that alarmingly Pakistan has the lowest breastfeeding rates in South Asia, 37 per cent. He added that ignoring early signs of pneumonia can be death sentence. The symptoms of pneumonia include: rapid or fast breathing, cough, fever, chills, loss of appetite, wheezing, lower chest wall in drawing; very severely ill infants may be unable to feed or drink and may also experience convulsions, he explained.

Talking of remedies, he said that limiting exposure to smoke from cigarettes or indoor cook stoves and fires can help limit the risk of pneumonia. “Research has shown that hand washing with soap and water can reduce the number of pneumonia -related infections in children under the age of five by more than 50 percent.” Dr. Ashraf added that immunising against pneumococcus, measles and whooping cough is the most effective way to prevent pneumonia. Parents should not be hesitant about taking their children to the nearest health facility for the administration of vaccines that are available free of cost.

To a query, he said that by managing cases of pneumonia in children with antibiotics at community level, pneumonia-related child deaths can be reduced by 70 percent. Lady Health Workers can be trained to assess signs of pneumonia, determine appropriate treatment and guide parents, administer antibiotics and provide home care. They can also refer sick children to a health facility if complications arise, said Dr. Ashraf.

He added that government should also utilize Lady Health Workers to educate mothers to recognize the signs and symptoms of pneumonia. It must also prioritise routine immunisation coverage. When children suffering from pneumonia can be treated promptly and effectively with antibiotics, their chances of survival increase significantly, he said.

He, however, added that overuse of antibiotics should be prevented in order to curb microbial resistance and children with upper respiratory infections mainly cough and colds should not be prescribed unnecessary antibiotics. He suggested that indiscriminate use of cough medicines should be reduced.

Pneumonia control and other child health interventions must be accelerated to meet Millennium Development Goal 4 that is reducing under-five mortality by two-thirds by 2015, concluded Dr. Ashraf.

Islamabad

The Child Right Movement (CRM) Pakistan on Tuesday launched a postcard campaign for the enactment of pending child rights related legislation at the federal level.

Under this campaign, 5,000 postcards from across the country will be sent to Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif by children, parents, teachers, members of civil society and others urging him to play his role for the enactment of all pending legislation related to child rights including the National Commission on the Rights of Children (NCRC) Bill, the Child Protection (Criminal Law) Amendment Bill 2013, the Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill 2013, the Charter of Child Rights Bill and the Child Marriage Restraint (amendment) Bill 2010.

Addressing a press conference at the launch, CRM representatives said legislation on child rights issues has not gained due consideration of the Parliament at the federal level despite several commitments at the national and international level by the consecutive governments. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child while considering Pakistan’s Periodic Reports in 2003 and 2009 repeatedly raised its concerns and recommended to enact pending legislation related to child rights with no results so far. The names of the panellists included Arshad Mehmood from Save the Children, Saleem Malik from Baidari, Kausar Bano from Right to Play, Habiba Salman from Sahil. The CRM is a coalition of more than 100 civil society organisations working for the protection and promotion of child rights across Pakistan.

In Pakistan, over the years legislation on child rights issues has not received due consideration and commitment by the policy makers and one of the biggest reasons for this disparity is the absence of National Commission on the Rights of Children (NCRC) to act as a central, independent and effective child rights body to ensure monitoring and implementation of the minimum child rights standards across the country; to respond to the child rights violation cases effectively in a timely manner; and to exercise pressure for filling legislative gaps. The Bill on the NCRC has been pending since 2001. Despite the fact that 2013 was declared as “The Year of the Rights of the Child” by the then Prime Minister on Universal Children’s Day, November 20, 2012. CRM members lamented that no significant steps have been taken during the year for the promotion and protection of child rights at the policy and legislation level.

The previous National Assembly passed the Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill 2013 in the session on the last day of its tenure. However, the Bill lapsed as it was not passed by the Senate of Pakistan and the National Assembly was dissolved. Similarly, the Child Protection (Criminal Law) Amendment Bill 2013 was approved by the previous Cabinet in its last meeting without any further progress, shared members of the CRM Pakistan. The CRM announced a sustained campaign for the enactment of child rights related Bills and urged the media and civil society of Pakistan for their support to gather maximum signatures to convince the policy makers to enact the pending bills and make Pakistan a safer and protected place for our children. The CRM Pakistan members said that it was important to support the campaign for the enactment of the pending legislation keeping in mind the state of child rights in the country. They shared that there are more than 20.5 million children out of school and of these 10.2 million are engaged in child labour where they are exploited, abused, tortured and killed. The Global Slavery Index 2013 reveals millions of modern slave children in Pakistan. Unfortunately, crimes against children are increasing rapidly. In 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, the reported cases of child sexual abuse were 2012, 2595, 2303 and 2788 respectively.

Though the ICT Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act was passed in 2012 by the both houses of the parliament yet the law is not enforceable in the ICT as rules have not been notified for the enforcement and implementation of the law in letter and spirit.