Zardari extends heartiest greetings to entire nation on festive occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr

AAJ TV

President Asif Ali Zardari has said that thanks to Allah Almighty, Who granted with us an opportunity to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr. I extend my heartiest greetings to the entire nation on this festive occasion. In his message while recalling countrymen, he said that Eid-ul-Fitr is a day that concludes the blessed month of Ramazan, marking it with a note of thankfulness. To express gratitude before Allah Almighty, we need to spend our lives in line with His true, glowing and balanced teachings. This is the righteous way that leads to attainment of success in the life here and hereafter, and makes one’s self get closer to Allah Almighty. Dear countrymen, we can feel the real happiness of Eid only when we join our poor relatives, neighbours and needy brothers and sisters on this occasion. This is only possible by shaping our lives in accordance with the golden principles of Islam and shun hatred, animosity, greed and malice. Moreover, we need to promote in our ranks love and affinity, tolerance, generosity and endurance. By following these ethical standards, a society can be reformed which is truly in line with the aspirations of Islam. Dear countrymen! We should keep in mind that incidents of sectarianism and violence like the recent attack on the passenger buses in Lulusar (Gilgit Baltistan) are completely against the teachings of Islam. Similarly the terrorist attempts in Kamra which were foiled by the courage and valour of our armed forces, clearly violate the spirit of Islam. We have to reject the negative propaganda of misguided forces by promoting the great Islamic teachings. A society developed on these lines will be helpful in resolving our problems. I pray that may Allah Almighty bless us with real pleasure and bliss of Eid. Amen. Pakistan Paindabad.

Contempt case: ‘Govt to seek adjournment till end of Zardari’s tenure’

The Express Tribune

Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khan Khosa on Saturday said the government will request the court on August 27 to postpone the case against the prime minister till the end of the tenure of President Asif Ali Zardari. The government’s plea will be based on Article 248 of the Constitution, Khosa said, while talking to journalists at an Iftar dinner reception held at Governor House. Khosa said that Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf will not be present in the court, but the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Irfan Qadir will submit the reply on his behalf. He said the AGP, citing Article 248, would request the court to postpone the hearing till the end of President Zardari’s tenure. When the tenure ends, the issue of writing the letter to Swiss authorities will be self-executed, he said. He said that former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani did not take the same approach when he was summoned by the court; rather, he emphasised on the fact that he did not commit any contempt of court. When the court asked Gilani to address the issue of Article 248, Gilani categorically replied that he wanted to focus on his contempt issue and his lawyer, Senator Aitzaz Ahsan, was busy arguing that Gilani did not commit any contempt of court. “I hope Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who is heading the Supreme Court bench hearing the NRO implementation case, after getting this positive plea from the government will accommodate PM Ashraf,” he said. Asked to define the term ‘accommodate,’ Khosa said: “SC may postpone the hearing of the case for an indefinite time period.” If the court does not accept the plea, Khosa said a new prime minister will be elected by parliament. Khosa also said Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry should stop addressing gatherings and conferences where he issues ‘fatwas’ against parliament and the incumbent PPP-led coalition government. The chief justice’s recent statement that government has failed to address the people’s issues and the nation is disappointed from the current regime is very pessimistic, he said. Such statements from an eminent personality spread unrest and uncertainty in the country, Khosa added. The state and parliament are interlinked and are supreme, while institutions like the judiciary are derived from parliament, he said. He said the chief justice’s theory, that parliament is not supreme, disgraces the nation. The chief justice should perform his role in strengthening the state, not destabilising institutions, Khosa added. The governor also disclosed that negations were underway with opposition Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz’s disgruntled leader Senator Zulifqar Khan Khosa, and he is quite likely to join the PPP. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and PML-N chief Nawaz do not have the moral courage to apologise to Khosa over their attitude; so Khosa, along with his three sons, may join the PPP, the governor added.

Down's Syndrome Pakistani girl accused of blasphemy

A Christian girl with Down's Syndrome has been arrested on blasphemy charges in Pakistan, accused of burning pages inscribed with verses from the Koran, police and activists said on Sunday. Police arrested Rimsha, who is recognised by a single name, on Thursday after she was reported holding in public burnt pages which had Islamic text and Koranic verses on them, a police official told AFP. A conviction for blasphemy is punishable by death in Pakistan. The official said that the girl, who he described as being in her teens, was taken to a police station in the capital Islamabad, where she has been detained since. Angry Muslim protesters held rallies demanding she be punished, said the official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. "We had to register the case fairly quickly to prevent any unpleasant situation," he added, referring to the demonstrations. Rimsha was produced before a court on Friday and remanded in custody for 14 days, another police official said. She is expected to go before the court again by end of this month. The girl's plight is likely to reignite debate about growing religious intolerance in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where strict anti-blasphemy laws make defaming Islam or the Prophet Mohammed, or desecrating the Koran, a capital offence. Human rights activists say the law is often used to settle petty disputes, but in the face of huge public support for the legislation, the government says it has no plans to change it. The girl's alleged behaviour sparked Muslim anger in Mehrabad, an area of the capital where she lives with her parents and where up to 800 Christians reside. Christians there were forced to leave amid mounting fury. "These Christians had sought shelter with their relatives in other parts of the city but now they are gradually returning to Mehrabad," a senior official of All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA), Tahir Naveed Chaudhry, told AFP. He said that the girl had Down's Syndrome -- a condition which causes various degrees of learning difficulties -- and disputed the age given by police. "She was just 11 to 12 years old," he said, adding it was a hugely sensitive issue and "we would not like it to be mishandled and would rather want to resolve it amicably". Women's Action Forum (WAF), a leading Pakistani organisation fighting for the rights of women, condemned Rimsha's arrest. "WAF is outraged at the total inhumanity of the men who lodged the First Information Report (FIR) in the police," WAF spokeswoman Tahira Abdullah said, demanding Rimsha's immediate release. Police should have dealt with the case under the Juvenile Justice System and not the serious allegation of blasphemy, she said, accusing police of not allowing lawyers or civil society representatives to visit the girl in custody.

4 Afghans, 3 NATO troops killed in holiday attacks

The carnage in Afghanistan continued unabated on a major Muslim holiday on Sunday, as attackers killed two pairs of brothers with links to the government, and three NATO service members. The targeted killings are part of a spate of similar attacks on those associated with the government, further complicating efforts by international forces in country to hand over security responsibility to Afghans as foreign combat troops withdraw. In the first attack, a bomb hidden in a cemetery in the southern province of Helmand killed a police chief and his brother who were visiting a family grave for the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Seven of the men's family members were wounded in the early-morning blast in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, said Helmand Deputy Police Chief Ghulam Rabbani. No one immediately claimed responsibility, but the attack was consistent with the Taliban's strategy to target authorities and others who align themselves with the government or international forces. The two men were brothers of a lawmaker for Helmand province, Abdulwadood Popal, who was not at the cemetery at the time of the blast. The family was visiting the grave after attending a morning prayer service for the holiday, which ends the month-long Ramadan fasting period. Later on in the western Farah province, gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on the car of an intelligence service official as he was driving home from a family visit, killing him and his brother who worked for the customs service. Another relative was wounded, provincial deputy police chief Ghulam Ghows Malyar added. In central Afghanistan, meanwhile, three NATO service members were killed when a vehicle struck a roadside bomb, officials said. Bamiyan Gov. Habiba Sarabi said the blast happened in Kohmard district while the troops were out on patrol. NATO forces confirmed that three coalition service members were killed in a bombing, but did not provide their nationalities or other details. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement. Including Sunday's deaths, at least 41 international troops have been killed so far this month in Afghanistan. In a speech marking the holiday, President Hamid Karzai condemned the repeated attacks that took place during Ramadan. "The enemies of Muslims ... during the holy month of Ramadan treated the nation of Afghanistan cruelly: bombs, explosions in mosques, suicide attacks in mosques," Karzai said. If the Taliban were not responsible for such attacks, he said, they must disavow them. "If you are not behind this, it is being done in your name. As Muslims, as Afghans, raise your voice and say that you did not do it," he appealed. In a message ahead of Eid al-Fitr, Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar instructed his fighters once again to avoid killing or wounding Afghan civilians. "Employ tactics that do not cause harm to the life and property of the common countrymen," he said in an eight-page message released to news organizations last week. The Taliban have said previously, however, that they do not consider those who collaborate with the government to be civilians. Targeted killings of Afghan civilians have surged this year, according to the United Nations. Civilian deaths from targeted killings and assassinations jumped 34 percent for the first six months of 2012 to 255 killed, from 190 in 2011, the U.N. said in a report issued earlier this month. The U.N. report said 1,145 civilians were killed and 1,954 injured during the first half of the year, most of them by militants. Also on Sunday, officials said that an airstrike by coalition forces in the northeast killed a large group of Taliban fighters and a local insurgent leader. At least two dozen insurgents were killed in the attack in Kunar province, said NATO forces spokesman Maj. Martyn Crighton. Kunar Gov. Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi said the strike killed as many as 50 insurgents who had massed in a remote area of the province. He said it was not clear why they had gathered.

Drone attacks pound northern Pakistan, killing 13 in two days

A flurry of drone attacks pounded northern Pakistan at the weekend, killing 13 people in three separate attacks, officials and witnesses said on Sunday. The attacks came as Pakistanis celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan with the festival of Eid al-Fitr. A drone killed five people and injured two in North Waziristan early on Sunday morning, an intelligence official said. He said the death toll was based on intercepted conversations between the militants. Later on Sunday, another drone attack killed two people and injured two others near the site of the previous attack, said two intelligence officials. On Saturday, a drone attack killed six people and injured two. The dead were local Taliban and fighters from the southern province of Punjab, said security officials and a tribal source. Drone strikes are controversial in Pakistan, where many politicians condemn them as a violation of sovereignty. But the United States sees them as a key tool in the fight against terrorism.

President Bashar al-Assad Performed Eid al-Fitr Prayers

President Bashar al-Assad performed Eid al-Fitr Prayers Sunday morning at Al-Hamad Mosque in Mohajirin Quarter, Damascus. Top party and State officials, a number of MP's, the Mufti, and a number of Islamic Religion Scholars and citizens performed the Prayers along with H.E. President al-Assad. President al-Assad was received upon his arrival to the Mosque by Minister of Endowment( Religious Affairs), the Mufti, Assistant Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Arab Socialist Party, Chairman of the People's Assembly (Parliament), and by the prime Minister.Sheikh Mohamad Khir Ghantous delivered the ceremony of Eid al-Fitr asserting the sublime meanings of the blessed Eid al-Fitr, pointing out to the importance of amity, tolerance, closeness and cooperation among Syrians in building their Homeland, Syria.''The Prayer of Eid is but a characteristic of Islamic unity where the nation in its elderly, junior, chairmen, and subordinates discuss the affairs of the nation,'' Sheikh Ghantous said.Sheikh Ghantous asserted that the conspiracy and terrorism against Syria by an American,Zionist, western, Arab, Wahabi, and expiatory alliance will never defeat the faith, Islam, and determination in Syria and Bilad al-Sham, which God blessed.Sheikh Ghantous pointed out that the happiest for the ongoing in Syria are the enemies including Zionists, Americans, and their supporters, who were not able to face us as united together-Syrians-, so they wanted to dismember us setting the flame of war and sedition among us. Sheikh Ghantous called for return to the path of right, reason, and tolerant Sharia for peace and conciliation as to restore safety and security to Syria, praying to God for benefit, unity , amity and for welfare at the hands of H.E. President al-Assad.

Zardari takes notice of arrest of minor Christian girl

President Asif Ali Zardari has taken serious note of the arrest of a minor Christian girl in Islamabad on the charges of blasphemy and called for a report from the Interior Ministry. According to reports, 11-year-old Rimsha was arrested and sent to jail for allegedly desecrating pages of the Holy Quran. Some reports also said that the girl was burning used papers collected from the garbage for cooking when someone entered her house and accused the family of burning the pages of Holy Quran. This provoked people of the katchi abadi who gathered and beat the mother and sister of Rimsha and also threatened to burn some houses of the Christians. While the Christian population is reported to have fled the area the police arrested the mother and sister of Rimsha, sending the latter to Adiala jail. President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said that President Zardari has called for a report within 24 hours and directed the authorities to protect the life and property of the minority community.

Pakistan: Mobile phone services go off

Mobile phone services were suspended in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad Sunday night. The mobile phone services were suspended at 8.00pm, Sunday. Accoding to reports the services will remain suspended till 11am Monday. Earlier, Interior Minister Rehman Malik giving warning about possible terror attacks at occasion had said that mbile phone services could be suspended for sometime in emergency to foil terror bids. The interior minister says terrorists can strike on the occasion of Eid and security agencies have been put on high alert. He apologised to public in advance in case mobile phone services had to be blocked in certain areas in case of emergency. No negligence would be tolerated by the law enforcement and security agencies, he said. His said his team was working 24 hours a days.

Pakhtunkhwa:IDPs spend Eid without families in camp

The Express Tribune

Rather than celebrating with their families, the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Jalozai Camp will observe this Eid far from their homes.

Ten-year-old Dawrana’s family left their house a year ago because of ongoing operations against militants in Khyber Agency. She was carrying old shoes in her hands to get repaired them for Eid. “My father bought new clothes for all of us, but could not buy new shoes because he did not have enough money,” Dawrana said. She remembered Eid in her village where they used to visit her uncle’s house and play different games. “We used to visit our relatives and collect Eidi, but in the camp we cannot go anywhere,” she explained. Dawrana’s family is just one of 13,000 families who now live as IDPs in temporary shelters at the camp in Nowshera. In previous years, families were given special packages to help them celebrate Eid. However, no welfare organisation or government body has yet announced a special package for them this Eid. “My father used to bring new clothes and shoes every Eid but this year, we could not afford it,” said Jamshed, another child at the IDP camp. Jamshed too wore worn-out clothes. He was on his way to collect flour from the distribution point. “I am collecting flour because my mother said that she will make special bread for me on Eid,” Jamshed said, ecstatic at the thought. Rasool Jan, another IDP, said that those who could afford cost of transport could go spend Eid with their relatives. He said that some people even went back to their areas where peace has partially been restored. Jan said that on previous occasions, social welfare organisations distributed Eid packages among them but this time nothing happened. Adnan Khan, spokesman for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), said that some local NGOs would likely to donate packages. Similarly, he said that some affluent people were also expected to distribute these packages amongst the IDPs. He added that the PDMA has a plan to distribute Eid packages among the school children, that included books, pencils and sweets.

Pakistan: Christians flee slum as scavenger girl is charged with blasphemy

A large number of poor Christian residents of the Mehrabad slum near Islamabad’s G-11 Sector have reportedly fled the area fearing religious violence after an 11-year-old scavenger girl was charged under the blasphemy law two days ago. According to reports, Rimsha, daughter of Misrak Masih and suffering from Down Syndrome, has been charged with allegedly burning pages of a Noorani Qaida, a booklet used to learn the basics of Arabic and the Holy Quran. A case No 303/12 under Section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code was registered against Rimsha at the Ramna Police Station on August 17 after a local man named Al-Syed Muhammad Ammad complained that he had seen the girl burning the Noorani Qaida along with other garbage. Soon after the incident, residents of the area gathered to register their protest. They also blocked the Kashmir Highway and demanded immediate arrest of the 11-year-old. Some of the protesters reportedly beat up Rimsha and her mother, while the rest of the girl’s family managed to escape. The police arrived at the scene and took the girl into custody. She has been sent to the Adiala Jail on judicial remand. According to local sources, over 1,000 Christian residents of the slum have left the area fearing violence as some local religious groups are reportedly threatening to burn down the Christians’ homes. A Christian rights activist, asking not to be named, told Pakistan Today on the phone from Islamabad that they visited Ramna Police Station on Saturday to seek information about the incident, but found the officials there “extremely hostile”. “The duty officer asked us why we wanted to pursue the case,” the activist said. “The girl has desecrated the Holy Quran and has been rightly charged with the crime…you should leave lest the people come for you,” he quoted the duty officer as saying. The activist said that Christian leaders, including Minister In-charge of National Harmony Dr Paul Bhatti were in contact with Muslim religious leaders to prevent any further violence in the area. Dr Bhatti’s phone went unanswered. “A large number of Christians of the slum have sought refuge with their relatives in other areas of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and it could not be said when they would be able to return to their homes,” said the activist. Officials at the Ramna Police Station told Pakistan Today that the 11-year-old “had admitted to her crime”. “Rimsha admitted that she set the holy pages on fire and a case was registered against her after that; due process of law was followed in the case,” said Muhammad Ahmed, the investigating officer of the case. Section 295-B makes willful desecration of the Holy Quran, or use of an extract in a derogatory manner, punishable with life imprisonment.

Pashto Eid Music.... اختر مو مبارک شه

Pakistan: US missiles kill 7 militants in NW

Pakistani intelligence officials say missiles fired from unmanned American spy planes have hit two vehicles near the Afghan border, killing at least seven militants. Three intelligence officials said the strike on Sunday came in the Mana area of North Waziristan. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media. The officials say the area is dominated by Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a commander whose forces often target U.S. troops in Afghanistan, but they did not know whether his men were targeted. A U.S. drone strike Saturday also in North Waziristan killed five Gul Bahadur allies. Most Pakistanis feel the strikes violate the country's sovereignty and kill innocent civilians. The U.S. maintains they are directed against militants and necessary to combat groups like al-Qaida.

Pakistan’s own war

WILL we or won’t we? Or is it a question of not if, but when? The mixed messages that have been emerging from the Pakistani and American security and foreign policy establishments about an operation in North Waziristan leave these questions unanswered. But the ISPR statement on the recent visit of the American military’s regional chief makes one thing clear: at the moment, at least, the Pakistani security establishment is more concerned about declaring its independence in the face of American pressure and denying the possibility of American boots on the ground than it is about building its own case for going into North Waziristan. But that tribal agency is now a bigger problem for Pakistan than it is for the Americans. Not just a possible launching pad for Haqqani network attacks in Afghanistan, it is a refuge and training and planning ground for a number of groups whose attacks and criminal activities are carried out on Pakistani territory. The military leadership has been pointing out in recent days that any operation there will require political backing, which is another way of saying that public sentiment in favour of it would have to be drummed up. Such support has been created before, most notably for the Swat operation in 2009. And for North Waziristan, the case could not be easier to make. Reports are emerging that those who attacked the airbase in Kamra may have been trained in North Waziristan. Hafiz Gul Bahadur has banned polio vaccinations there. The Bannu jailbreak has been linked to the agency. Security forces posted there continue to be targeted. And these are just a handful of examples; as home to militant groups squeezed out of other tribal agencies, the agency has become a major source of instability at home. Why, then, the focus on America instead? Maybe establishing that the operation will not be dictated by the US was a strategic move, an initial, and perhaps required, public-relations step before laying out Pakistan’s own reasons. And Gen Kayani took an important step on Aug 14 when he declared in general terms that the war is Pakistan’s own, and that it has to be fought. But if the decision to go into North Waziristan has essentially been made, it is time to start focusing publicly on our own reasons for doing so. The agency has been left to its own devices for far too long, and there is no shortage of arguments on the basis of which Pakistanis can be convinced that the area poses a security threat to their own country that should no longer be ignored.

Parliament final authority for legislation

The Punjab Governor has said that only parliament has the authority to legislate and make amendment in the constitution. Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa says only parliament has the authority to legislate and make amendment in the constitution. He was addressing at an Aftar Dinner in Lahore last night. He said that Parliament is the only difference between Democracy and the dictatorship.

Pakistan: Bhasha versus Dasu

EDITORIAL

The government, according to news reports, has contemplated shelving the plans for building the Diamer-Bhasha Dam due to financial constraints as a result of paucity of resources and uncertainty about financial assistance from multilaterals and FoDP (Friends of Domestic Pakistan). Earlier this month, the Senate Standing Committee on Water and Power was informed that the World Bank has indicated its support for the run of the river Dasu dam with an installed capacity of 4320 MW, a support that greatly implies that the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha dam with a capacity of 4500 MW may be delayed by 10 years. This pre-supposed limited resources which constrain the government from undertaking even one of these two mega hydel projects with its own finances. Chairman Wapda had taken strong exception to this and categorically and unambiguously stated that it is the prerogative of the Bank's member country to identify its project priorities and not that of the multilateral donor. No one can challenge the inherent relevance of his contention. Multilaterals too accept this which explains why they reiterate time and again in their loan proposals that a project or a programme loan would be at risk if it is not driven by the borrowing country; or, in other words, multilaterals acknowledge that the success of any lending is contingent upon all the stakeholders in a proposed project being taken on board including the government, the political leadership, the civil society as well as the beneficiaries/affected people of any specific project. Until and unless there is a broad consensus the success of any project or programme support would be negligible, if any. In the matter of Diamer-Bhasha dam there are reports that multilaterals have requested the government of Pakistan to first get approval for the construction of the dam from India - a strange request given that the 1960 Indus Water Treaty gives exclusive use of the waters of the western rivers to Pakistan. The main reason for Chairman Wapda's preference for Diamer-Bhasha as opposed to Dasu, apart from the difference in energy output of around 180 MW, is the fact that Dasu, as the run of the river dam, does not provide for any water storage capacity in marked contrast to Diamer-Bhasha which, in turn, envisages four major outputs that are sorely needed in Pakistan today: (i) 4,500 MW of electricity; (ii) store an extra 8,500,000 acre feet (10.5 km3) of water for Pakistan that would be used for irrigation and drinking; (iii) extend the life of Tarbela dam located downstream by 35 years; and last but not least (iv) control flood damage by the River Indus downstream during high floods. However, it is also prudent to acknowledge that donors - bilateral as well as multilateral - have to adhere to safeguards that are approved by their parliaments/board of directors. Failure to comply with these safeguards in their lending proposals would lead to an automatic rejection by parliaments/board of directors. The two safeguards most commonly used to deny lending for hydel projects to member countries are those related to mitigating the impact of the project on environment and resettlement. A look at the environmental impact assessment of the Diamer-Bhasha dam reveals the following: (i) 31 villages would be affected, (ii) 4,100 houses would be affected, (iii) 35,000 people would be displaced, (iv) 1,500 acres of agriculture land would be submerged as a result of the dam's construction and 25,000 acres would be under reservoir. The government proposed 9 model villages, resettling 28,000 people, building new physical and social infrastructure, and development of a tourism industry however issues with the affected people of the project remain. Diamer-Bhasha and Dasu were no doubt proposed as energy projects critical to Pakistan's economy to the World Bank. However, the Bank opted for Dasu with a lower total cost and assessed environmental impact as well as lower resettlement cost. Resources of multilaterals are not limitless and perhaps this is a lesson learned: to propose a limited number of projects that can be processed based on the envisaged country strategy of each multilateral.

Pakistan: 2331 cases of violence against children

http://statesman.com.pk

The rights of children are being taken as granted in Pakistani society, with the incidents of violence, abuse and torture against them on rise. In the first six months of the current year as many as 2331 cases of violence against children were reported from the different parts of the country, says a report of Madadgaar National helpline. Children are considered amongst the most vulnerable sections of society and protecting them against the violence and abuse considered as the prime responsibility in the civilized societies. However, the situation is quite different in our country. Madadgaar National helpline is working to eliminate the violence against women and children with support of Plan international-Pakistan. Madadgaar National helpline’s Database documented 2331 incidents of violence against children from January to June, 2012. These cases include all type of corporal punishment, harmful traditional practices such as forced marriages, rape, sodomy, honor killing, torture and other cruel, inhuman and shameful acts. According to Madadgaar database, in these six months 367 children were murdered, 164 raped, 117 sodomised, and 211 became the victim of torture. As many as 273 children were trafficked, 122 went missing, 136 committed suicide, 91fell prey to Karo-kari (honor killing) and 107 to vani. As many as 226 children were married forcibly. Moreover, 329 kidnapping cases were also reported. This statistics paints a dismal picture of basic children’s rights in Pakistan. Out of these 2331 cases of violence against children, 203 cases were reported from Balochistan, 382 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 687 from Sindh. Punjab remained foremost with 1059 cases of violence and abuse of children. The authorities in Pakistan seem frequently unwilling or unable to protect children from abuses, and bring perpetrators to justice which promotes a culture of violence through impunity granted to perpetrators. In order to curb this, Madadgaar is advocating sustained efforts through better training, awareness and sensitization provided to law enforcement officers. In order to truly safeguard human rights, government agencies and civil society organizations must make genuine joint efforts. The children have the right to survive and the right to be protected from violence and abuse. Children should be treated as human being and they have right to be respected as thinking, feeling beings. All form of violence against children must be forbidden. Zia Ahmed Awan, President Lawyers for Human Rights & Legal Aid said Pakistan has ratified the Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC) and also ratified optional protocols which focus on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict and the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography. After ratifying the CRC and optional protocols, the State is accountable to evolve effective mechanisms for the purpose of preventing violence against children and providing protection and all required services to the survivors, but unfortunately children’s rights are not recognized at government level and the issue of child protection has not given required attention. The Madadgaar National Helpline data shows that children are being murdered, raped, abused, trafficked and abducted with impunity which is very clear indication of failure of government in implementing CRC and other national laws to protect children. Awan has expressed grave concern over the startling situation of violence against children and demanded that the Government should make a strategy to protect children from all kind of violence and abuses in Pakistan, adding children should receive no less protection than adults.