Those as young as 12 are chained in transportation, Amnesty says

A report by the rights watchdog - Pakistan: denial of basic rights for child prisoners - says the children can stay in jail for years because parents cannot afford to pay their bail.

However, when their cases come to court, the conviction rate can be as low as 15%, it says.

"The legal system is failing in its role as guardian of detained children and even lawyers and judges are not fully aware of children's rights under the law," said Amnesty International UK media director Lesley Warner.

The report lists various case studies to highlight its findings, including that of a 13-year-old boy who spent four years in prison because his case file was lost.

Another 13-year-old Afghan boy has been in prison since the age of 10 because his charge sheet is missing.

Non-custodial plea

Bail is often set at around 50,000 rupees (about $878) , while the average monthly pay of even a government worker is only 7,000 rupees.

In Pakistan, children are often the victims of abuse or neglect by the very people who have responsibility for their welfare. Lesley Warner Amnesty International

The report says children can be locked up alongside adults, contravening Pakistan's own laws.

Children as young as 12 are chained together during transportation.

Amnesty said that last year 350 children were on death row in Punjab and many remain there despite President Pervez Musharraf commuting their sentences.

Families of crime victims dispute that the defendants are children.

The tribal areas even fail to apply the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance that Pakistan introduced after ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Amnesty says.