NA Committee Approves Child Rights Bill

ISLAMABAD, January 10: The select committee of the National Assembly has approved the Charter of Child Rights Bill 2010 aimed at protecting and promoting the fundamental rights of children in Pakistan. read more

Bill Gates Contacts Parents of Arfa for Treatment in US

January 9: Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft Company, has contacted parents of world's youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) holder Arfa Karim for her treatment. read more

300 Foreign Students of Seminaries without Visas

FAISALABAD, January 2: At least 300 foreign students have been studying in madaris (seminaries) of eight districts of Punjab without having valid visas for years according to media reports. The Punjab Home Department has asked commissioners of Lahore, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Attock, Faisalabad, Khanewal and Rahim Yar Khan to look into the issue and take appropriate action. read more

Two Youngsters Rape Teenage Girl

PESHAWAR, January 6: Two young men allegedly raped a teenage girl in Urmar Mayana village and later circulated the video of the episode in the village, according to police officials.read more

Child Killed in Bajaur Bomb Blast

KHAR, January 2: A girl was killed and three others sustained injuries in a roadside blast in Salarzai tehsil in Bajaur Agency. The sources said that a minor, Hajra Bibi, was killed and three other children sustained injuries when a powerful bomb planted by suspected militants on the roadside went off in Tarono village in Sarlazai tehsil. read more

UN Adopts Optional Protocol on Complaints Procedure for Violation of Child Rights

NEW YORK, December 19: Today, in a landmark step for children’s rights, the UN General Assembly has adopted a new Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) establishing a complaints procedure for violations of children’s rights. read more

Children Sue to be Evacuated from Radiation Fall-Out Zone

JAPAN, December 19: Children at risk from exposure to radiation in the Fukushima prefecture have filed a lawsuit demanding that the government transfer them to a safer location. 14 children of Fukushima, the plaintiffs of the lawsuit, go to school every day where the contamination level of radiation is dangerously high. read more

Parent-child Communication Key to Preventing Abuse

ARGENTINA, December 7: The latest figures on child sex abuse in Argentina reveal that in 85 per cent of cases, the perpetrators were persons known to the victim. read more

Sudan Still Sentencing Minors to Death    

KHARTOUM, DECEMBER 7: The Special Criminal Court in North Darfur upheld the death sentences handed down to four minors for their involvement in a carjacking case, and ordered for them to be crucified following their execution. Despite the country’s Child Law of 2004 establishing that child offenders should be tried in special courts and detained in juvenile detention centres, the application of capital punishment remains authorised for children in cases of “serious offences”. read more

Law proposed for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences

INDIA, December 10: The Government proposes to enact a special law for protection of children from sexual offences, according to a written statement by the Minister of Women & Child Development. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2011 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on March 23, 2011. read more

Campaign Planned against Use of Children as Suicide Bombers

QUETTA, January 2: Speakers at “Consultation for Ratification of Optional Protocol on Involvement of Children in Armed Conflicts” organised by SPARC vowed to launch a campaign against the use of children as soldiers, particularly as suicide bombers, by extremist groups.
Imtiaz Ahmed from SPARC said the government had recommitted itself to the promotion and protection of child rights and ratified the Optional Protocol to the UN/CRC on Involvement of Children in Armed Conflicts. read more

Child Domestic Worker Strangled to Death

ISLAMABAD, January 6:  SPARC issued a press release condemning the death of a domestic worker Shan Ali and demanded both the federal and provincial governments to take solid measures to check growing violence against child domestic workers and respond to the situation by notifying Child Domestic Labour in the list of banned occupations under the Employment of Children Act 1991. read more

SPARC Demands Equal Rights for the Bonded Labourers

KOTRI, January 4: After the 18th amendment and the dissolution of the Concurrent List, the province should adopt the Bonded Labor System Abolition Act 1992 and Worker’s Welfare Fund; EOBI and other benefits should be provided to the labourers demanded Mr. Kashif Bajeer at the occasion of a rally for school enrollment campaign of freed bonded labourers and brick kiln workers’ children. The rally started from Baba Salahudin Tomb and ended at Press Club Kotri.  read more

Police Training and Capacity Building for Democracy and Human Rights Project

ISLAMABAD, December 31, 2011: Police training and capacity building for democracy and human rights is one of the prominent projects of training unit. SPARC is the implementing partner of Plan Pakistan in the mentioned project funded by European Union.    read more