Who was Hakim Ali Zardari?

Zardari from the Persian compound meaning “Holder of Money” or “Wealthy”, is a Sindhi speaking tribe of Baloch origin also known as Sindhi Baloch.

Historically Zardari tribe was settled in the province of Sindh from Balochistan. Over the years the Zardari tribe gradually lost their native language “Balochi” and adopted Sindhi as their first language.

Some of the Zardari tribe are bilingual speak both Balochi and Sindhi especially those who resides in the provinceof Sindh. It is estimated almost 40% of Sindhis of Pakistan are of Baloch origin. The Zardaris are largely Shia Muslims.

Hakim Ali Zardari was born in 1930. He is a landlord and agriculturist of Nawabshah District. His father’s name is Muhammad Hussain Zardari. His grand father’s name is Sajawal Khan Zardari.

His grand father Sajawal Zardari was also in politics in the period of British rule over PakIndia. Hakim Ali Zardari also took part in politics and was elected as Member District Council Nawabshah in the start of his political career. He was elected as Member National Assembly (MNA) on PPP ticket from in General Election 1970. He resigned from PPP due to differences from some party office bearers and joined Awami National Party (ANP).

He contested in non-party based General Election 1985 in the period of General Ziaul Haq but he could not succeed.

Hakim Ali Zardari started his political career in 1965 when he was elected as the member of District Council Nawabshah and later elected as the Vice President of the Divisional Council. During the period he played key role in the development of Nawabshah and the people of the city still remembered his services in this respect.

After Bhutto’s death, Zardari had a rift with the local leadership of PPP and left the party to join the National Democratic Party (NDP), an off shoot of the National Awami Party that had been banned by the government. Because of his good relations with Wali Khan, he was made the president of NDP. The party was subsequently restructured under the name of Awami National Party.

During Presidential Election 1965, Hakim Ali Zardari supported Fatima Jinnah against the then President Ayub Khan and after termination of the latter’s government, he joined PPP in 1970 as one of its founder members. He was elected as the President of Zardari tribe in a convention held in Latif Hall Nawabshah the same year.

“What if the Bible is found Blasphemous?”: Khaled Ahmad

Khaled Ahmed wrote an article titled “What if the Bible is found blasphemous?” in March 21, 2006 in Daily Times.

The first paragraph of the article is as follows:

“Most Pakistanis are not aware of the dangers our law against blasphemy might entail. The law says no prophet shall be insulted and awards death for the offence. This means that prophets in the Juaeo-Christian-Islamic tradition are all protected. But do we know what the Bible says about Old Testament prophets? What if the stories of the Bible are taken to court and found blasphemous? Will we then have to burn the Bible and kill all the Christians who read it?”

What Khaled Ahmed feared five years ago is probably going to turn into a reality.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Sami-ul-Haq group) leader Maulana Abdul Rauf Farooqi held a press conference along with scholars on May 30. He said that Terry Jones’ blasphemous act against the Holy Qur’an had crushed the spirit of the Muslims and that they were angry over it.

He said that there are portions in the Bible that are blasphemous and insult holy prophets of Islam. He urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan Chaudhry to take suo moto notice of these blasphemous contents under Section 295-C of Pakistan Penal Code, declare the Bible as a blasphemous literature and ban it. He said that if the CJ would not take notice then he would file a writ. He said that he was ready to accept any punishment if he could not prove that the Bible was a blasphemous literature.

Asif Aqeel

Director Community Development Initiative

83-S Block, Model Town Extension

Cell: +92-0300-400-1650

Office: +92-042-583-2641

Fax: 92-042-583-2642

 

Pakistanis Cannot Do Anything Except Watch Helplessly the Human Rights Violations

Saleem Shahzad was abducted on May 29, and his body was discovered on May 31.

This is one more of the mysterious abductions and extrajudicial killings that have been taking place inPakistanon a regular basis. This extrajudicial killing after disappearance is just one of many hundreds that have taken place in the past years and a clear demonstration of the total collapse of the rule of law in the country. The citizens have no rights or freedom of expression and media personnel are being terrorised into silence. The tolerance at the state level has reached the point where journalists are intimidated and murdered if their stories touch on any subject that might be considered sensitive by the invisible intelligence agencies.

The country has become a state where even a small voice of dissent is unacceptable to those who are truly in power. This is not the elected government but rather the armed forces and intelligence agencies who have ruled for 34 out of the 63 year history of the country and continue to rule today.

He is the 70th journalist to meet this fate since the year 2000.

Many other civilians have also been abducted and disappeared and their numbers are counted in the thousands. The state has failed to recognise these large scale abductions and killings and take any effective action to prevent them from occurring. In fact, the popular perception is that these abductions and killings take place with the knowledge of the country’s intelligence services and other authorities.

Saleem Shahzad was shocked by many of the happenings related to security operations and was engaged in exposing these through his journalism. He was a committed journalist who defended the freedom of expression and called for accountability and protection for the people. It was his commitment to truth and the belief of his own duties to his community that cost him his life.

As in all such occasions there are calls for investigations and the prosecution of the offenders. However, as the government lacks any kind of commitment to ensure justice there is hardly any possibility of the discovery of the perpetrators of this heinous crime. It is the duty of the international organisations of journalists and those who are committed to the freedom of expression to make the call for an investigation louder and to intervene in order to prevent further killings.

The rule of law in Pakistan is getting severely undermined and that the very meaning of the law is losing its significance in the country. Life is becoming more and more senseless each day as the citizens can do nothing else except to watch helplessly the kind of kidnappings, killings and disappearances that take place almost daily.

Shahzad’s body, which bore marks of the severe tortured he had endured at the hands of his captors, was found two days after his abduction and disappearance. His mutilated body was found in the suburbs of Mandi Bahouddin, 160 kilometers from the place of his abduction

It is widely suspected that Shahzad was abducted by members of the country’s intelligence agencies shortly after he published an article linking the Pakistan Navy with Al-Qaida. Two days before his abduction he told his friends that he had been receiving threatening calls from intelligence officers because of the article which had been published in Asia Times Online.

While the ISI and intelligence agencies are suspected as being responsible for Shahzad’s disappearance and death the government cannot be absolved of its responsibility.

Following his abduction on May 29 no action was taken to locate him, investigate the abduction or close the exit points of Islamabad. This is yet another example of the government turning a blind eye to the actions of the security forces and the blanket impunity they are offered.

The announcement by the government of an inquiry into Shahzad’s killing holds no hope for his family and friends as it is unlikely to be unbiased or in any way fair. The results of such inquiries will invariably show that he was killed in a terrorist action and no responsibility will be laid at the feet of the intelligence agencies. Or, if by some miracle some intelligence officers are actually named they will be offered impunity by the inquiry as the blame will be transferred to the terrorists. As normally happens, the inquiry may well discover that certain intelligence agents were present however, no evidence will be produced that they were responsible for his death.

Shahzad’s abduction and death should be seen, not in the light of an isolated incident, but rather as part of an attempt to silence anyone who is considered to be a threat.

The government must stand up for the people that elected them and remove the blanket impunity that they offer these torturers and murderers.

By merely ordering a puppet inquiry into the matter the government will not serve the purpose of justice and truth which the Pakistani nation desperately needs at this moment when all the venues of justice, accountability, fair trial and transparency are nowhere to be seen.

The Management of Alaiwah joins Saleem Shahzad’s family in praying that God may grant his soul peace.

President of newspapers’ society confirms that Saleem Shahzad was receiving threats from ISI

Mr. Hameed Haroon, the chief executive officer of the Dawn, and the president of the All Pakistan Newspaper Society, an organization of owners of the print media, has confirmed that Saleem Shahzad had received threatening messages from the ISI on at least three occasions. Shahzad had not only informed his employer, the Asia Time Online but also Haroon and other friends of these threats.

This statement from Mr. Haroon refuted the charges of the ISI official that the accusation of the involvement of the ISI in Shahzad’s murder was baseless. Shahzad told Mr. Haroon in an email after a meeting on October 18, 2010, in which military and navy officers were present, that he was being pressurised to disclose his source of information about the release of a notorious Taliban commander from Pakistani custody.

The confirmation from a media house owner that Shahzad was under threat from the ISI is enough to expose the workings of the invisible intelligence agencies for the intimidation and murder of citizens in general and journalists in particular. The statement from the ISI was merely an attempt to cover up its common practice of threatening anyone it sees as a potential risk. It is no secret that every investigative journalist is expected to disclose the source of their information to the military run intelligence services.

Open and fair trials and the rule of law are now subjected to the requirements of what is perceived to be national security. The government is in a deep state of denial when it comes to confronting the armed forces or the intelligence agencies for acts of forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and torture in custody.

The concept of an open trial in Pakistan no longer exists if there is any hint that the subject of the trial may involve ‘national security’. There is simply no chance of a trial taking place or, if by some chance it does actually begin, evidence is suppressed in the interests of this national security. The statement by the ISI official that the organisation had nothing to do with Shahzad’s murder was not given with the intention of creating discussion, it was, as far as the ISI is concerned, a statement of fact and as such is without contestation.

The rule of law inPakistan is at the mercy of the armed forces. It is, as in the case of open and fair trials, exactly what they say it is.

The statement of the ISI will dominate the inquiry into Shahzad’s murder simply because the government has no will power to question it.
The statement is reproduced below and in full, issued today by the President of the All Pakistan Newspaper Society:

A leading newspaper publisher in Pakistanand the president of the nationwide newspapers body has reacted sharply to charges by the ISI that allegations by Human Rights Watch of the intelligence agency’s involvement in the murder of Pakistani journalist Salim Shahzad were “baseless” .

It has come to my notice that a spokesman of ISI while speaking to the official national news agency in Islamabad yesterday has questioned the “baseless allegations” leveled by Human Rights Watch on the basis of an E mail from Salim Shahzad, the Bureau Chief of the Hong Kong based Asia Times Online, in their possession . Mr Shahzad was murdered three days ago near Islamabad after being abducted by unknown persons.

“I wish to state on record that the e mail in the possession of Mr Ali Dayan, the monitor for Human Rights Watch (HRW) stationed in ,Lahore Pakistan, is indeed one of the three identical E mails sent by Mr Shahzad to HRW , his employers (Asia Times Online) and to his former employer, myself . I also wish to verify that allegations levied by HRW at the ISI are essentially in complete consonance with the contents of the slain journalists E mail “

“In their denial issued Wednesday an anonymous spokesman from the ISI has questioned the “baseless allegation” leveled against ISI by Mr Dayan of HRW. I wish to state on the record for the information of the officers involved in investigating journalist Salim Shahzad’s gruesome murder, that the late journalist confided to me and several others that he had received death threats from various officers of the ISI on at least three occasions in the past five years. Whatever the substance of these allegations , they form an integral part of Mr Shahzad’s last testimony. Mr Shahzad’s purpose in transmitting this information to three concerned colleagues in the media ,was not to defame the ISI but to avert a possible fulfillment of what he clearly perceived to be a death threat. The last threat which I refer to was recorded by Mr Shahzad by e mail with me, tersely phrased as “for the record”, at precisely 4.11 am on October18,2010, wherein he recounted the details of his meetings at the ISI headquarters in Islamabad between the Director General- Media Wing (ISI) Rear- Admiral Adnan Nazir, with the Deputy Director General of the Media Wing, Commodore Khalid Pervaiz, also being present on the occasion.

The ostensible agenda for this meeting was the subject of Mr Shahzads’s story of Asia Times Online with respect to the Pakistan government freeing of senior Afghan Taliban commander, Mullah Baraadar. Mr Shahzad informed the senior officials that he story was leaked by a intelligence channel in Pakistan, and confirmed thereafter by the ” most credible Taliban s source” . The senior officials present suggested to Mr Shahzad that he officially deny the story, which he refused to do, terming the official’s demand as “impractical”

The senior intelligence official was “curious” to identify the source of Mr Shahzad’s story claiming it to be a “shame” that such a leak should occur from the offices of a high profile intelligence service. Mr Shahzad additionally stated that the Rear -Adimral offered him some information, ostensibly “as a favour ” in the following words : ” We have recently arrested a terrorist and have recovered a lot of data, diaries and other materials during the interrogation. The terrorist had a hit list with him. If I find your name on the list I will certainly let you know.”

Mr Shahzad subsequently confirmed to me in a conversation that he not only interpreted this conversation as a veiled threat to his person. He also informed me that he let an official from the ISI know soon thereafter that he intended share the content of this threat with his colleagues ..

As President of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) and as head of Pakistan’s leading media group I consider the the security of journalists to be of paramount importance. At present the APNS has officially committed itself to the creation of a national body for the investigations of serious threats to the lives of journalists, a body which the Committee to Protect the Journalists in New York, and other leading organizations in the Pakistani press and human rights bodies have promised to lend vigorous support to. Pakistan has one of the high rates in the world for journalists killings and such an environment is inimical to the functioning of democracy. The government and the intelligence agencies should take the investigation into Mr Shahzad’s murder seriously and examine his last testimony closely.

Whether the Oct 18th incident itself or his last article in the Asia Times Online, that alleged Al-Qaeda penetration of the security curtain for Pakistani Naval establishment inKarachi hastened his murder is for the official investigation to uncover. And nobody not even the ISI should be above the law”.

Hameed Haroon
PRESIDENT
ALL PAKISTAN NEWSPAPERS SOCIETY
KARACHI

 

India Restricts the Content of Internet

India’s Department of Information Technology in April 2011 passed a law that restricts what content can be posted or made available to the public on the internet.

Free speech advocates argue that these new rules are just excuses for the government to expand censorship in the country and further limit the rights to freedom of speech and expression that are guaranteed by the Constitution to the citizens of India.

These new cyber rules give the government and ordinary citizens the power to remove information that is “grossly harmful, harassing, blasphemous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, paedophiliac, libellous, invasive of another’s privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically objectionable, disparaging, relating or encouraging money laundering or gambling, or otherwise unlawful in any manner whatever” [1] among many others.

With the enactment of these new rules, popular sites like YouTube and Facebook must remove content deemed offensive in the span of 36 hours, and such sites may soon be blocked all together.

What makes the rules so controversial is the unclear, loose wording that makes them susceptible for abuse and misuse. What material constitutes as “grossly harmful” for example, and who decides what is “grossly harmful” and what is permissible?

Due to the unspecific wording, almost anything can be labelled “grossly harmful.” These new rules are open to interpretation and the fear is that this flexibility will be misused, or used to suppress opposing views and opinions against the government.

With social uprisings currently underway throughout Northern Africa, significantly aided by social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, these new laws could be one way in which the government attempts prevention of a similar uprising in India.

With a booming population of 1.21 billion [2], India is undoubtedly the world’s largest democracy. Freedom of speech is often considered one of the main pillars of what defines a democratic country and India’s constitution clearly states that every citizen in India “shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression.” [3] However, these new laws bring freedom of speech into question.

How democratic can a country be when its constitution promises one thing, but the specific laws and amendments enforce another? How constitutional are new cyber laws when they are in essence, limiting freedom of speech? When did democracy go from rule of the people, to rule of the minority in power?

Many claim that the new restrictions will turn free speech for all in India in to censorship for all. The new legislation makes it much easier for the government to quell uprisings or protests, for instance if state officials make claims of “harassment.” Furthermore, the government can suppress unwanted information about its actions since government officials can claim “invasion of privacy” or deem something as “hateful.”

In response to the huge wave of criticisms, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in India defended these new rules by stating that “due diligence practices are the best practices followed internationally by well-known mega corporations operating on the Internet.” The ministry added that “the Government remains fully committed to freedom of speech and expression and the citizen’s rights in this regard.” [4]

However, the statement failed to include possible safeguards against misuse or abuse by the government officials, or the government itself.

In a speech earlier this month, President Obama stated that the United States will “support those basic rights to speak your mind and access information. [They] will support open access to the Internet, and the right of journalists to be heard – whether it’s a big news organization or a blogger. In the Twenty-first Century, information is power; the truth cannot be hidden; and the legitimacy of governments will ultimately depend on active and informed citizens.”5

Although his speech was directed to the nations of North Africa and the Middle East, it applies to all nations, including India.

India must address the questions of its public concerning the misuse of the new cyber restrictions and the implications it could have on their freedom of speech and expression.

India must find a way to achieve the essential goals of the new cyber rules. Furthermore, it must do this without violating the liberties guaranteed to citizens by the constitution. This democratic doctrine is a symbol ofIndia’s independence, so tumultuously achieved in 1950, and must be adhered to.

Endnotes

1. http://www.mit.gov.in/sites/upload_…
2. http://www.indiaonlinepages.com/popv:shapes=”_x0000_i1027″>

3. http://lawmin.nic.in/coi/coiason29j…

‘ alt=- v:shapes=”_x0000_i1028″>  4. http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/…

Shahbaz Sharif Bans Punjab Civil Servants From Talking to the Media

Freedom of Expression: New Punjab Rule Robs Journalists of Their Sources

By Shamsul Islam

A ban has been imposed on all government officials from interacting with the media under the new Protection and communication of official information rule.

Under rule 46 of the Punjab Government Rules of Business 2011, which was recently circulated among all provincial departments all government employees are hereby forbidden to speak with journalists about official business.

The various addendums to the law include:

(1)A government servant shall not communicate any information acquired directly or indirectly from any official document or otherwise to the media, to non officials, or to officials belonging to other government offices, unless he has been, generally or specially, empowered to do so.

(2) The chief secretary shall issue detailed instructions about treatment and custody of official documents and information of a confidential character.

(3) Ordinarily, all official news and information shall be conveyed to media through the Information, Culture and Youth Affairs Department, in the manner, generally or specially, prescribed by the Department.

(4) The ministers, secretaries and such other officers as may be authorized shall act as official spokesmen of the government.

Following the circulation of the above rules of business, various government departments refused to meet with media persons and share information. We didn’t know about the new ruling but suddenly we were unable to file any proper stories. How can we file proper reports of criticisms of government department if they are unwilling to speak to us?” said a reporter.

Department officials refused to discuss any official information with the press, particularly in the home, police, health, irrigation, revenue and other departments that fall under the Service and General Administration Department. “These are the only departments that receive the most complaints! This is the government’s way of ensuring we cannot cover these departments. The only things left behind for us to cover will be the culture and entertainment stories!” said an enraged reporter. “I spent my entire morning shuffling back and forth between government offices trying to get a quote but there was nothing. Does the government really think that people will stop criticising them if they try to shut us up like this, he added.

All departmental heads and secretaries were asked to ensure that their employees avoid talking to media persons unless asked by the highest authority. “Breach of discipline will be dealt with strictly in accordance with the rules.

Government officials from several departments said that they were merely following instructions. None of the persons in the chief minister’s secretariat and the Service and General Administration Department was willing to share information about the visit of the chief minister to China and other countries.

According to Rule 47 of the Rules of Business of the Punjab Government a new ‘channel of correspondence’ has been set up. The new channel of correspondence is “All correspondence with the Federal Government or a Pakistan Diplomatic Mission abroad or a Foreign Mission in Pakistan or an International Organization shall normally be conducted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Government.”

Meanwhile, constitutional experts termed Rule 46 as ultra vires, arbitrary and against the spirit of the Constitution. They said that no rule can supersede rights guaranteed under the Constitution. They were of the view that this law essentially bars not only freedom of expression but freedom of inquiry. Under Article 19 of the 1973 Constitution it was laid down that “every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable retractions imposed by law in the interest of glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, a decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, commission or incitement to an offence”.

After the adoption of the 18th Amendment in the Constitution, a new article 19-A has been inserted which mainly says “Every citizen shall have the right to have access to information in all matters of public importance subject to regulation and reasonable restrictions imposed by law.”

The new legislation is being viewed as a serious threat to the media. Reporters from all overPunjab have protested that the law is in violation of the spirit of freedom of expression and will greatly hinder the function of the media as a ‘watchdog of society’.

 

12,660 Kenyan Girls Sexually Abused by their School Teachers in 2010

Since discovering that her 13-year-old daughter was pregnant about a month ago, Juanita* has paid several visits to the local chief in her village in western Kenya, seeking justice for her daughter and punishment for the man who abused her.

“She told me it was her teacher who did it. I confronted him and he admitted [he was the father] – he told me we could just settle it as adults,” Juanita, 47, said.

“We have been going to the chief because the teacher tells me he wants to marry my daughter and take care of the child, but I don’t want that. Let him take care of the child who is a result of his bad behaviour, but leave my daughter alone because I want her to go on [with her education],” she added. “I am poor and now both my daughter’s and my future have been ruined by somebody I respected most.”

Recent media reports implicating an HIV-positive teacher in western Kenya in the sexual abuse of five girls aged between seven and 13, and a Muslim scholar in the country’s eastern Coast Province in the sexual abuse of a dozen boys, have left Kenyan parents questioning just how safe their children are in school.

A 2009/2010 government report showed that at least 1,000 teachers had been dismissed from duty in that period for sexually abusing children. A separate study conducted between 2003 and 2009 revealed that 12,660 girls were sexually abused by their teachers, yet only 633 teachers were charged with sexual offences. Furthermore, 90 per cent of sexual abuse cases involving teachers never reached the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC), responsible for monitoring and implementing teachers’ codes of conduct.

Several laws, including the Children’s Act and the Sexual Offences Act, criminalise sex with children under the age of 18, and in 2010, the TSC issued guidelines designed to protect children from sexual abuse in schools. The new rules ban students from visiting teachers’ homes, warn teachers against using the promise of academic progress to coerce children into sexual liaisons and stipulate that any sexual abuse of a child should be reported to the commission within 24 hours.

“Any time we get reports about a teacher abusing a child, we will carry out our investigations and take appropriate action… We have released a circular to all schools detailing measures that should be implemented to reduce cases of sexual abuse of children in learning institutions, and we have prosecuted some offenders,” said TSC’s public relations officer. “Any head teacher or any teacher for that matter who knows that a sexual offence has occurred within their school and fails to report it [will face disciplinary action]; TSC rules are very clear on this.”

Few consequences
A 2009 study by Kenyatta University of more than 1,200 girls in 70 schools across 10 Kenyan districts found that when girls were impregnated by teachers, 45 per cent of teachers suffered minor consequences, either a demotion, a transfer to another school or marrying the pregnant girl; an estimated 32 per cent of teachers faced no consequences, while 25 per cent were sacked. On the other hand, an estimated 76 per cent of girls dropped out of school, with many others getting married, procuring abortions and even committing suicide; only 1 per cent of those who left were able to rejoin school.

While the study found that 22 per cent of teachers who impregnated girls were arrested, convictions for teachers who abuse children are rare, mainly due to the fact that unless a girl is pregnant, sexual abuse is difficult to prove. In addition, stigma means many families would rather keep the abuse under wraps and teachers often pay families to keep the cases out of court.

Schools are the second highest after the family set-up where children are sexually abused. The authority over children exhibited at home is extended to school and amorous teachers are using this authority to sexually abuse children under their care. But spotlight should also be extended to religious institutions because even here, boys are getting sodomised and those reports are in the public domain.

Orphaned children and those from poor backgrounds are vulnerable because they lack basic needs and a teacher can use that to coerce them into a sexual relationship, putting them in danger of getting pregnant or getting infected and dropping out of school eventually.

Sex for grades, goods
One of the reasons children rarely report sexual abuse by their teachers is because sex is often in exchange for good grades or material gain.
Esther*, Juanita’s daughter, said: “He used to buy me good things like pens, shoes and he used to give me pocket money too; later he told me to take water to his house and while there, he started touching me and that is the first time we had sex,”. “He said I would be his girlfriend because his wife was away; I feared him and would do everything he told me to.”

Shame is another factor that prevents children and families from reporting these crimes.

Many families still view sexual abuse of children as too stigmatising to be made public and they don’t report [it], making it extremely hard to implement the law… so it is kept under the rug and only when the child becomes HIV-positive or pregnant is it realised that someone must have been sexually abusing them.

Head teachers rarely report abuse of children, either because they are the culprits or are acting to protect the image of the school. Many schools in Kenya are also sponsored by religious institutions who would normally want to keep such cases under wraps.
There are cases where parents collude with a teacher after the child becomes pregnant, and say the teacher will take care of the child. Some parents also benefit from gifts or money a child gets from a teacher… It is important to discourage parents from such arrangements.”

Call centre
In 2008, ChildlineKenya  and the government set up a toll-free call centre where children can report abuse or others can report suspected cases of child abuse.

Initially, it was hard to report abuse of children but since we set up a call centre, it is now easy to see the extent of these cases of abuse,” said director of children’s services at the Ministry of Gender. “It is refreshing because the TSC is now more proactive in dismissing abusive teachers from within its fraternity.”

In 2009, out of the 28,988 calls made to the centre, 697 reported the sexual abuse of a child. Childline has since carried out awareness-raising campaigns in schools to increase the use of the service.

More action needed 
The initiative is limited, however, as in many rural areas, children cannot access telephones. While NGOs applaud the initiative, they say much remains to be done.

The provision of a toll-free line has helped, but schools must also put measures within their systems that make it easy for victims to report abuse without feeling intimidated. They must employ counsellors or designate a teacher for that role and at the same time provide suggestion boxes through which students can report [an abuser] either in school or at home.

It is important to sensitise parents about the rights of their children. It doesn’t matter whether the culprit says they will take care of the child or marry them, it is important to sensitise parents to know that seeking justice for the child is the most important thing. Culprits must not be allowed to get away with such offences… Otherwise we continue hushing it up and put more children in danger.

*Not their real names