Much has been written about children reported missing in Pakistan, as nearly 3,000 children are ‘lost’ every year according to Plan UK. Pakistani NGOs do what they can but they are up against a certain amount of apathy from authorities and the general public, who, like everywhere else in the world, believe it couldn’t happen to them.
September 19, 2010 Celebration in Rawalpindi
Today there was much jubilation in the bazaar, because a young boy, missing from his home for 25 days was returned to his family.
He had been kidnapped during the month of Ramzan in the period before the Eid celebrations on 11th September. He comes from a family who are not affluent, and there was no ransom demand.
Every year during Ramzan parents are warned to be more careful of their children as it is at this time when they go missing in larger numbers. There is a general bustle in the streets as people go shopping for the things they need for the Eid celebration, and the kidnappers take full advantage of the general chaos in the streets.
This boy’s family had received no ransom demand and had probably all but given up hope of being reunited with their child.
What Happens to Kidnapped Children?
This is a mystery or so it seems. The organizations don’t tend to speculate, although Pakistan news reporters did suggest that some are taken to the Gulf States, and local belief is that they are taken there to become camel jockeys in the races that are enjoyed so much in Saudi Arabia.
The boy who was returned to his parents in Rawalpindi has some disturbing news to report, however, which suggests that children are being taken as recruits for the campaign of violence that is taking place in Pakistan.
The Missing Boy’s Story
The boy claims that he was taken to a camp in the mountains - he couldn’t be more specific than that - where there were many other children. They were afraid and missing their families, but were rescue by the floods. Those in charge of the camp had to abandon the area because of the flood waters that have devastated so much of Pakistan.
The children were herded into vehicles and thrown out along the road, all in different places. This boy had been found by a greengrocer, taken to the police to be later reunited with his parents.
Children Who go Missing in Pakistan
If you read reports about missing children all kinds of reasons are given for their disappearance - emotional/physical and sexual abuse, problems at school or in madrassas, and a whole host of other reasons.
Some are street children, others from poor families, so the children go off to look for a way to earn money etc. No report that I have read suggests that they are being taken by terrorists to be trained as suicide bombers or militants. However this boy’s story suggests that this is one of the reasons children, especially boys, go missing.
Pakistan and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Pakistan ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child on December12th 1990, which came into being because of a recognition that “people under 18 years old often need special care and protection that adults do not.”
On 12th August 2010 in an article published the Pakistani newspaper the Nation it was stated that 10,511 children have gone missing in the last ten years (in other words since Pakistan ratified the Convention) and that of course, is only the number that have been reported as missing. It does not take into account girls whose families, for reasons of “family honour” do not report their daughters missing.
Having lived under dictatorships for many of the 63 years since Pakistan became independent the people are still not accustomed to the fact that they have rights. There is a growing movement to suggest that this is changing, but there does not seem to be a political will to help bring about change. Until attitudes towards missing children change, unfortunately they will continue to be used for whatever purpose their kidnappers choose.
Sources
Amir Murtaza, July 3rd 2010. “Missing Children a Phenomenon that Needs to Be Checked in Pakistan"
Deactivism
August 12th 2010, “10,511 Kids Went Missing in 10 Years”, The Nation
Lynne Evans - I have a BA(hons) in English and American Lit, and a MEd in TEFL and multicultural education.I have been a consultant in the fields of ...
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