Islamabad: (Parliament Times) As the free nations across the globe are celebrating children’s day the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider Khan has sought international community’s attention towards the impact of violence on children in Indian occupied Kashmir saying that the long-drawn conflict and forcible occupation of the disputed territory had devastating impact on the lives of children being a vulnerable segment of the society.
Terming children as the most valuable asset for any nation the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider Khan said that the world community must take notice of use of excessive force and violence by Indian forces against the Kashmiri children. In a statement issued on universal children’s day Khan said, “International community must give attention towards the deteriorating situation of educational rights of the children in occupied Kashmir”. Referring to terrible situation in Indian held part of Kashmir Khan said children in the restive region were coping with depression as hundreds and thousands of people were killed and lakhs of children orphaned by occupation forces.
The AJK PM said that Indian brutal forces were badly abusing the fundamental rights of the children by curbing their liberties through imposing the curfew and shutting down their educational institutions. He said occupation forces were involved in using pellet guns and other types of violence against innocent children.
The Prime Minister paid rich tributes to all those children who fell prey to the Indian firing along the Cease Fire Line. He said that children should be treated with love and compassion, adding that children were the architects of tomorrow and that they should, therefore, be given proper education and training from childhood.
He said that it was important to inculcate self-confidence in children to enable them to bear the responsibilities that they have to assume. The prime minister further said that the purpose of celebrating universal children’s day was to promote awareness about children’s rights, as it was the society’s collective responsibility to ensure their provision.
He said that the welfare and betterment of children demanded a strong partnership between public and private sectors. The prime minister said that the AJK government had taken measures to eliminate child labour from the liberated area. The prime minister said that the whole society needed to take a pledge to safeguard children’s rights on the universal children’s day.
