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Petition to: Stop the Carnage in Swat and FATA / Stop the Taliban from Ending Girls Education

by sacw.net, 17 January 2009

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Child Rights Movement, Logo
- Child Rights Movement

Petition to

- Stop the Carnage in Swat and FATA
- Stop the Talibans from Ending Girls Education

To Our Leaders, Decision and Opinion Makers
- The Honorable,

  • President of Pakistan
  • Prime Minister of Pakistan
  • Chief of Army Staff
  • Director Inter-Services Intelligence
  • Federal Ministers and Secretaries for Interior, Information, Education, Human Rights and Social Welfare & Special Education/NCCWD
  • Governor NWFP
  • Chief Minister NWFP
  • Chief Ministers Sindh, Baluchistan & Punjab
  • Education Minister and Secretary NWFP & Director Education FATA
  • Speaker National Assembly
  • Chairman Senate
  • Heads of all Political Parties in Pakistan
  • Chief Secretary NWFP
  • Parliamentarians : Chairperson Standing Committees: National Assembly and Senate
  • Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Social Sectors
  • CEOs /Editors of Print and Electronic Media

January 14th, 2009

From All Members of Child Rights Movement (CRM) and Pakistan Collation for Education (PCE)
- H No 2-A, St No 40, F-6/1, Islamabad, Pakistan
- 051-2824838

Honorable Leaders, Decision and Opinion Makers

Petition to
- Stop the Carnage in Swat and FATA

THE OFFICIAL SILENCE MUST END NOW ON GIRLS’ EDUCATION.

As members of Child Rights Movement (CRM) and the Pakistan Coalition of Education (PCE), we demand that the Government, Armed Forces, Parliamentarians and Media take urgent action in Swat where over a 100 girls schools have been torched and in FATA where another 150 schools have met the same fate.

The closing down of schools on January 15th 2009 will be a dangerous precedent for the citizens and children of Pakistan that will irreversibly push us into the dark ages. It will signal an era of entrenched anarchy in Pakistan denying our children their fundamental right to education, ushering a rapid disintegration of society and our country. The state cannot, and must not abrogate its responsibility simply because its writ has been challenged by anarchists seeking legitimacy through carnage and savagery.

We recommend that:

  1. Immediately implement measures in the affected areas to ensure security of children
  2. Place security forces in front of each school to resist any further torching and closing
    down of girls’ schools/colleges
  3. Torching of schools/education institutions must be announced as a heinous criminal offence to be handled through fast track mechanisms.

This petition has been initiated on an emergency basis by the citizens of Pakistan in response to the open calls being made by the affected in those areas. Many more organizations will join in this cause in the coming days and weeks.

Sincerely, and with expectations to take immediate action !

For and On behalf of the
- Child Rights Movement (CRM) a coalition of 17 NGOs, INGOs and human rights activists Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE) a coalition of 130 organizations in 55 districts

Child Rights Movement
- Annex I
- List of CRM Members

  • Aurat Foundation
  • Action Aid
  • ASK Foundation
  • Bedari
  • Children First
  • Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA)
  • Muslim Aid
  • Pakistan Pediatrics Association
  • Plan International
  • PODA
  • Rozan
  • Sahil
  • Save the Children -UK
  • Save the Children- Sweden
  • SPARC
  • Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO)
  • World Vision
    - List of PCE Members
    - See website: www.pcepk.org

Signature Sheet
Contacts of Top Officials and Representatives in Pakistan