Afghanistan Times
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Anti-social elements are gaining foothold on par with militants as crime rate yet to take a deep plunge. There is no denying that scores of criminals belonging to influential parties and families are enjoying impunity and are getting stronger day by day despite pledges of the government to make the society fit for living. People upset by the sharp increase in insecurity have also raised concerns over growing crimes, times and again, but fall on deaf ears. Rape of a five-year old boy in Faryab province should be taken as a wake up call by the policymakers because child abuse is turning into an established practice now and earning a bad image for the nation.
Though, the rapist has been arrested, but forever the scars will remain and could lead to an even darker turn in the life of the five-year old boy who is fighting for life in the hospital. It is not the first case. Several children were sexually abused. Many cases go unreported. Even if such cases are reported, justice is seldom served. Violators of children’s rights walk free due to widespread corruption, weak enforcement of laws and culture of impunity. To tame the crimes the government had to discourage the criminal mindset with strict preventive measures and result-oriented policies.
At a time when the country is facing daunting challenges like insecurity, without reforms in the country’s judicial system the decision-makers could neither control crimes nor militancy because in both cases writ of the government is challenged. These issues hamper development of every sector. From intelligentsia to common men, everyone is worried. Tough times are ahead and confidence of the nation is eroding. Definitely, the leaders are busy in neutralizing threats to ensure safety of the public, but focusing solely on security could not rescue the nation from troubles. They cannot take a sigh of relief until they are assured that their children would not be raped, kidnapped or killed.
Lack of human or financial resources is not a good excuse, because the crime rate is higher in urban areas where the executive could show efficiency. There are no hard choices, what the government really needs is to implement the laws in spirit and letter. Moreover, arrest of criminals is the need of the hour to build confidence of the public over the current democratic setup. Once public support is earned the government would be able to deal with militancy as well. Furthermore, public support is essential to get rid of the social evils.
