TAYYABA - WHERE ARE AND WHY ARE SILENT THE SO CALLED CHILDREN COMPLAINT CELLS FUNDED BY UNICEF

[Jokingjustice]

In the case of torture and burning of 10-years old child housemaid Tayyaba reportedly by her employer Judge’s wife, the Supreme Court of Pakistan exercised its parental jurisdiction after the father “reached a compromise”. On this inhumane child treatment, not just every-evening big mouth openers the Anchors cried, but also the parents, advocates, social media in as much as even the Ministers this time talked about it.

2. There are special Children Complaint Cells both in the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat as well as in almost all the Provincial Ombudsman Headquarters. In addition, these separate Cells also exist in the Regional offices of these Ombudsmen. UNICEF funded these Cells. How much we the tax-payers contribute annually, this senior citizen does not know. These Cells were created so that the children of our beloved Pakistan could understand and protect their rights and make complaints against infringement of their rights. Who are the children, in our society, who know what were their rights let alone have awareness to approach an Ombudsman and a file a complaint (against their parents, teachers or a Kulfiwala?). This 70 years old, almost 75% blind after an unsuccessful eye operation, often reads about the “success” of these Cells but has a great wish, before near reaching his final resting place, to see and kiss the hand of such a “wonder child” from our millions of street wandering children who knowing his/her rights, knowing about existence of a children cell, filed a complaint with such a cell and followed up the complaint.

3. I have read some statistics, which is a normal norm of any government department efficiency, about success. However, despite my thirst out of my general curiosity I could not know if the children approached these Cells against their parents, child-street-friends, teachers, street vendors or “maalaks/maalkans” they worked for? However, what I am sure aware of is the activities of these Cells “through Facebook” about holding of seminars, workshops, conferences etc. Sometime back a talk show apprised we the unfortunate masses how the World Bank’s donation for judicial reforms mostly went on renovation, TA/DA, conferences, laptops, seminars etc. World Bank 5-6 years back also donated for reforms in the Ombudsman system. What happened? A “Forum for Pakistan Ombudsman” was established for reformation of the whole ombudsman system. What reforms came? This “Forum” established on World Bank donation for reformation, publishes a quarterly New & Events. Today 30 January 2017 it has April-2016 Issue which efficiency is self speaking. The reformation started in 2011. The Sindh Ombudsman took charge in 2011. Till mid 2015 for four years there was only one single News Event on Sindh Ombudsman website viz 2011 taking charge of Sindh Ombudsman. Wonderful reformation. The Ombudsman system, in line with other institution, went down.

6. According to the newspapers the case has “shocked many”. Not strange at all, if no one visibly appears to be no shocked is these “Ombudsmen Children Complaint Cells” on maintaining of which a lot is spent (UNICEF only or tax payers jointly) so these cells could invoke “their parental jurisdiction” in cases like that of Tayyaba, death of 6 children in rickshaw at railway crossing, death of infant last month in Faisalabad as hospital entrance was closed for Nazims’ election, Kasur children etc.