Minority Children And Their Path To Leadership

It was the most unusual and exciting day of their lives. The first-ever delegation of minority children visited the Parliament House. While walking through various dioramas in the Senate Museum and watching the documentary about Senate of Pakistan, the children’s delegation learned the story of Pakistan’s journey towards participatory federalism through the Senate of Pakistan. The children demonstrated keen interest in the historical statues of prominent politicians of the country at the Senate Museum. The Senate Protocol staff briefed the students on the legislative processes and escorted them to the visitor’s gallery where the Senate was in session. The children observed what and how the Senate debates issues of public importance.

“We welcome our minority children sitting in the gallery on my right side,” the voice of the Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan, Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, echoed in the Senate Chamber. My heart was thrilled with joy when our photo appeared on the screen in the Senate with this announcement,” said Zibia Kamran, a child delegate.  We experienced the same cordiality, reverence and erudition at National Assembly where Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, the speaker of National Assembly warmly welcomed and affectionately listened to us,” she added.

On 30^th March, 2023, the Pakistan Partnership Initiative (PPI) and Pakistan Christian Council International (PCCI) arranged the meetings of a 13-member delegation (6 boys & 7 girls) of minority children from Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Baháʼí faith from all of the provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan, in coordination with Mehnaz Akbar Aziz, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights, Senator Kamran Michael and Naveed Aamir Jeeva, Parliamentary Secretary Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety. The delegation consisting of Sarah Mall, Presha Bhawani, Noora Mashrequi, Nirjala Bahadur Kaur, Shayan Michael, Rajveer, Ayan Jamshaid, Tanpreet Singh, Joshua Sebastian, Mishal Basharat Khokhar, Jerusha Shahzad and Ashwin Kumar presented the Charter of Demands to the Chairman Senate and the Speaker National Assembly.

The children worked closely with Dr. Rubina Feroze Bhatti, former member of the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC), and developed a charter comprised of 12 demands. The children demanded for review of the laws pertaining to the protection of minority children, involving representatives of minority communities in technical groups setup by the federal and provincial governments for formulation and implementation of child-related legislation, collection of data about children from religious minorities, appointment of a separate minority member in the National Commission on the Rights of Child, celebration of religious festivities with minority children, prohibition of corporal punishment and child labor, special funding to develop programs and initiatives for minority children in slums to improve their lives, and the promotion of teachings of tolerance, non-discrimination and human rights through the curriculum to make the education system more inclusive.

Various articles of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 protect child rights and child protection. Article 11(3) relates to prohibition of hazardous labor of children; Article 25A guarantees free and compulsory education from 5 to 16 years of age, Article 25(3) recommends for special laws for child protection, Article 37(e) directs the state for the protection of children from vocations unsuited to their age and morals.

Pakistan was the sixth nation-state in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with a commitment to protect children from discrimination, physical and sexual abuse, economic exploitation and neglect.  Since Pakistan ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990, there has been significant progress on the recognition of children’s right to participate, largely assisted by child rights organizations, particularly through National Action & Coordination Group (NACG Pakistan) to eradicate Violence Against Children, Pakistani Civil society branch of SAIEVAC (a SAARC apex body) and the Child Rights Network Pakistan (CRNP), a group of devoted social anthropologists, economists and development practitioners, who believe in informing, connecting and mobilizing communities, stakeholders and organizations committed to achieving gender equality, sustainable development, through provision of child rights. The representation of child members in the composition of National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) substantiate that there is no age limit for participation, rather a capacity for participation, which evolves from birth onwards.

Nevertheless, researchers have expressed concerns over the scarce evidence of discernible impact of children advocacy on major policy decisions. Former child member NCRC Tajdar Hashmi argues that, “children are the driving force of their own development, and they develop the world around them through their participation. However, unfortunately policy makers have never engaged children in policy formulation and decision-making processes, because the children are not their voters like adults.”

Article 14, 19, 20, 22, 26 and 27 in the Constitution of Pakistan guarantee minorities to profess and practice their religious beliefs freely. Furthermore, the government of Pakistan has taken concrete initiatives such as a 5% job quota reserved for minorities, reserved seats for minorities in the Senate, National Assembly, provincial assemblies and local bodies. Besides this, minority representation is also ensured in National Human Rights Institutions. Nevertheless, all these initiatives are adult-focused. While talking to the honorable speaker, Tanpreet Singh, the delegate from Hasan Abdal expressed her keen concern that if only adult minority representatives participate in interfaith celebrations and religious festivities of minorities organized at public level, how can children learn and understand that there are various types of faiths around them and learn to appreciate these differences.

Encouraged by the graceful gesture of the speaker, Sarah Mall, an 11th grader urged to make Muhammad Ali Jinnah's 11 August Speech a part of school curriculum to protect minority children against all forms of discrimination. While Joshua Sebastian demanded for including heroes from other religions as national heroes in textbooks so that minority children feel proud and confident.

Noora Mashrequi and Mishel Basharat lamented on the rights violation of children living in slums and informal settlements, and those who are victims of child labour. The No Child Left Behind theme was introduced for improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged. However, it is pertinent to address the situation while employing rights based approach that is normatively based on international child rights standards and operationally directed to promoting, protecting and fulfilling children’s human rights.

Shayan Michael and Ashwin Kumar, the youngest delegate who belongs to Sindh, recommended that the Christian Marriage Act, (XV of 1872) be amended to increase the minimum age of marriage of girls from13 years to 18 years, and of the boys from 16 years to 18 years in order to protect minority children from being abused. Jerusha Shahzad and Ayan Jamshaid emphasized on the need of data on the overall situation of minority children to develop an efficient system for addressing their issues. Presha Bhawani, who strongly advocates for minority representation in decision making structures related to child rights, demanded for appointing a separate minority member in the National Commission on the Rights of Child like other National Human Rights institutions in the country. Thus the minority member will be able to focus on minority children.

The 13-member delegation reiterated that children need access to decision making structures at district, provincial and national level.  There is a need of supportive adult facilitators for building their capacity, as well as creating or supporting children’s own organizing spaces, where they can demonstrate their own leadership. Senator Kamran Michael and MNA Naveed Aamir Jeeva deeply appreciated the historical decision of honorable Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan for calling this group of minority children in the Parliament House and giving them the opportunity to become the voice of millions of minority children in Pakistan. While receiving the Charter of Demands, the speaker said that we are in principle, agreed to all demands of minority children. He ensured the children that their demands shall be well received. The Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights will work with the children that the agreements are complied with and promises are kept.