A parliamentary committee has condemned the United States for putting Pakistan on the Child Soldier Prevention Act list and called it a politically motivated move.
During a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights on Thursday, the members criticized the US over its ignorance in this regard.
Senator Mushahid Hussain said that the US move is disconcerting and that he was shocked over the ignorance of the US State Department.
“We should firmly put our case forward jointly with Turkey which has also been included in the list. A joint letter should be addressed to the US State Department in consultation with Foreign Office to resolve the issue at the earliest. This move can have long-term ramifications for US-Pakistan diplomatic as well as economic relations,” said Hussain.
Minister for Human Rights, Dr. Shireen Mazari, said that the Pakistan army is a professional organization and called the US move to be politically motivated.
Mazari said that Pakistan’s armed forces have a strictly competitive process for recruitment. While the minimum age for recruitment is 16, the soldiers are not sent into combat until they turn 18 years old.
“This is mala fide intent on part of the United States,” the minister added.
The chairman of the committee, Senator Walid Iqbal, said that there is no concept of any recognized militia or child soldiers in Pakistan, hence, the inclusion of Pakistan in such a list is beyond imagination.
The forum also discussed the possibility of taking up the matter with the relevant committee of the US Congress.
The members of the committee also paid tribute to the late Syed Ali Gillani for his role in the Kashmir freedom movement.
