Punjab has topped the list of the juvenile crimes as more than 2137 children are languishing in 29 prisons of the province and are waiting for their fate.
More than 3163 children are languishing in 86 prisons of the country are facing harsh attitude.
This was stated in a report issued by the Global Foundation, an NGO working for the rights of prisoners in Pakistan.
The Executive Director of Global Foundation, Ulfat Hussain Kazmi, while talking to Business Recorder said that a certain rise in juvenile crimes was witnessed in Punjab which has reached to an alarming point. "Government should take the matter seriously and measures should be adopted to change the behaviour of children", he added.
He called upon the Chief Minister Punjab Chudhary Pervaiz Ellahi to look into the plight of the children languishing in prisons and efforts should be made to make them useful citizens of the country. "The Jail reforms of the chief minister will definitely change the atmosphere but there should be consideration for children in these reforms", he demanded.
Global Foundation, is an NGO working on prisoners in Pakistan. This organisation has published various reports exposing the negative attitude of the jail officials towards the prisoners.
Giving details of the children, caught in juvenile crimes in different jails of Pakistan, he said that out of total 3163 juvenile inmates 2137 are in 29 jails of Punjab, while 483 in 16 jails of Sindh, 87 in 10 jails of Balochistan and 456 in 21 jails of NWFP.
He said that these inmates are from the age of 11 years to 20 years. Kazmi said that 562 out of total 2137 in Punjab are facing murder charges, 184 murderer attack, 142 theft, 59 attempt to murder, 175 dacoities, 15 for creating law and order problems, 162 Zina Ordinance, 221
smuggling, 123 illicit arms, 46 kidnapping, 173 firing by lethal weapons, 32 fraud and cheating, 132 sodomy, 4 foreign act, 2 Railway act, 3 loafing, 59 for selling stolen commodities and 43 other offences.
He said that all these children are waiting for their fate but their cases are not being given any special consideration. He said that 18 young girls including 2 facing murder charges are still waiting for their fate.