Maryam tells parents to ensure childrens' safety, avoid leaving them 'unattended'

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday urged parents not to leave their children unattended and to ensure their safety when sending them out of the house.

The statement comes after the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Sargodha and a roof collapse incident at a private tuition centre in Lahore, which claimed the lives of 14 children. The chief minister spoke about both incidents in a televised address to the National Paigham-i-Aman Committee on Friday.

Citing the Sargodha incident, CM Maryam recalled that the child had gone to a shop alone, after which the shopkeeper murdered her and hid her body.

“It was a spot of blood on the foot of her slipper which led to the identification of the murderer,” she recalled, adding that she had taken notice of the incident immediately and directed authorities to apprehend the suspect.

“I can provide transport, health and other facilities; however, if you are not safe within your houses, then I believe I have not succeeded in my position as the chief minister,” she said.

CM Maryam maintained that while she had the authority to create deterrence, she did not have access to what was going on inside people’s houses, especially “how we raise our sons”.

She said that responsibility was not hers alone, adding that parents often gave their kids “free rein” to go out.

At this, she appealed to parents to avoid leaving their children “unattended” and to send them to markets, where they are “unable to protect themselves”.

“If you must, do things yourself, rather than leaving your children exposed to these monsters,” she said, expressing concern that such people were “walking around freely in our neighbourhoods and streets”.

Taking note of Monday’s roof collapse incident, CM Maryam said, “My heart weeps as the chief minister, and I feel a sense of responsibility towards what I could have done to prevent it from happening”.

She said that while the incident happened due to negligence on the tuition centre’s part, she appealed to the parents, “Wherever they (parents) are sending their kids, whether a madressah or a tuition centre or school [..] please ensure the safety of your kids.

“Do not send them to a place where there could be a risk of such incidents,” she said.

The chief minister held that addressing “societal ills” was a collective responsibility and called on people to play their part.