LAHORE - Child Protection Bureau Chairperson and Member of the Provincial Assembly Sarah Ahmad recently participated in an international panel discussion on ending violence against children. This discussion was organised in collaboration with Arigato International, UNICEF, the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities, World Vision, and the World Council of Churches. Prominent personalities from various countries attended the event, engaging in an in-depth conversation on the role of religious communities in protecting child rights. According to a press release, issued here on Sunday, the panel included notable figures such as Muslim religious scholar Sheikh Ibrahim Lathome from Nairobi, Director of Religious Affairs Alexander James from Colombia, Zambia’s Minister for Community Development Susan Musonda, Senior Program Officer of Arigato International Omella Beiros, and Global Director of World Vision International Bill Forbes, among others. In her address, Sarah Ahmad stressed the need for joint efforts to promote child rights and eliminate violence. She highlighted the significant role of religious communities in ensuring the protection of children. Sarah Ahmad said that, as per direction of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz, the Child Protection Bureau, in collaboration with UNICEF, had included leaders of all religions in the child protection committees, established for the purpose.
She said that, in collaboration with UNICEF and Search for Justice, an advocacy and awareness campaign on child protection would be conducted with religious scholars at 900 shrines across Punjab. She mentioned that in Bangladesh and Mauritania, issues such as child trafficking had been successfully addressed in partnership with religious leaders. Similarly, in Pakistan’s successful polio campaign, local scholars and religious leaders played an essential role. She stressed that religious leaders and policymakers could play a vital role in eliminating violence and exploitation against children.
Sarah Ahmad noted that collaborative efforts between the government institutions and religious communities were essential for welfare and protection of children. She also shared Pakistan’s ongoing initiatives to prevent child exploitation and protect children, emphasising the importance of a strategic partnership between the government and religious communities to effectively promote child rights.