ISLAMABAD -UNS: Wafaqi Mohtasib EjazAhmad Qureshi addressed a well-attendedseminaron“Threatsof
Cybercrime: Growing Vulnerabilities of Societies” held yesterday at COMSATS University,
Islamabad. Besides, participation by the representatives of Federal ministries and the relevant
agencies, special arrangements were made for online participation by the members of Asian
Ombudsman Association (AOA), the OIC Ombudsman Association (OICOA) and the Forum
of Pakistan Ombudsman (FPO).Mr. Qureshi stated that the Seminar was being held in the
backdrop of the Universal Children’s Day which was observed last week and provided an
opportunity to renew our commitment towards promotion and protection of child rights. He
emphasized that the Constitution of Pakistan recognized special rights of protection for
children due to their vulnerabilities and Pakistan was among the first few countries who
ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) on November
12, 1990.
Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi stated that the exploitation of children including the growing cases
of cybercrime wasa common feature across the globe and Pakistan was no exception. He
added that the Wafaqi Mohtasib Institution has been deeply conscious of its role in pursuing
the child rights issues in Pakistan. He further stated that the Office of Grievances
Commissioner for Children has been set up in the Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat to redress the
individual grievances of children, monitor the overall situation and address the systemic
issues face by them. This Office provided the children with a forum to raise their voice in
matters relating to them and has to its credit various initiatives including Zainab Alert
Response and Recovery Act 2020 and a Bill on Prevention and Control of Cybercrimes
against Children/Criminal Law Amendment Act.
The Seminar was addressed by senior experts from Federal Investigation Agency (FIA),
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Quaid-e-Azam University and the Grievance
Commissioner for Children at the Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat.Wafaqi Mohtasib Mr. Ejaz
Ahmad Qureshi stated that safeguarding the rights and wellbeing of children was
animportantfacetofombudsmanshipandvariousinstitutionswereoperatinggloballyunder
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different names. He said that in line with the mandate of Wafaqi Mohtasib Institutioni.e. to
diagnose, investigate, redress and rectify injustice done to a person through
maladministration, several initiatives have been taken to raise the profile of child rights. Mr.
Qureshi added that addressing maladministration is a means to ensuring sanctity of human
rights, achieving ultimate goals of good governance, the rule of law and safeguarding against
exploitation of all including children.
Wafaqi Mohtasib Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi invited all stakeholders to work together for
developing effective mechanism to protect our children against the growing menace of
cybercrimes and other vulnerabilities rampant in various societies. In this regard, has assured
the international ombuds community of Pakistan’s readiness to share its knowledge,
experiences and best practices in this field in terms of its commitment to the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child and the objectives of Asian Ombudsman Association
(AOA).
The seminar was also addressed by Chairman Higher Education Commission, Islamabad Dr.
Mukhtar Ahmad and panelists which included Amb(Rtd) Fauzia Nasreen , Senior Advisor
and Grievances Commissioner for Child Rights Wafaqi Mohtasib , Major (Rtd)Dr. M. Qasim
Security Consultants for Cybercrimes , M. Ayaz khan , Director (Ops), Cybercrime Wing FIA
Hqrs , Dr. Shabana Fayaz Chairperson Quaid e Azam University , Mr. M. Farooq Director
Child Online Protection Committee ,Pakistan Telecom Authority(PTA) , Mr. Ammar Jafri
former director FIA , National response Centre for Cybercrimes and Dr. Sohail Asghar
Incharge Islamabad campus , CUI . Vote of thanks was presented by Dr. S.M.Junaid Zaidi,
Founding Rector of COMSATS University Islamabad.
