PESHAWAR: Participants of a seminar held in connection with Universal children’s day here on Friday underlined the need for collective efforts by all stakeholders for protection of the rights of children and their safety from all sorts of exploitation.
The event was organized by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission Social Welfare, Special Education and Women Empowerment Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the support of Group Development Pakistan Peshawar.
The seminar was participated by government officials, representatives of civil society, lawyer community, media, teachers, and children from Zamung Kor (Street Children) and from Special education complex.
In his welcome note in the event, Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, Secretary, said that children are the asset of our nation, the future of our land, and the hope of tomorrow. Mr. Shah further said that today’s gathering is undoubted of immense importance to contribute our fullest efforts in realizing children’s issues and agreeing that we all stand responsible in our position to ensure that we play our respective roles, which we ought to.
Ijaz Muhammad Khan, deputy Chief Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission, shared that Pakistan signed and ratified the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the child (UNCRC) committed itself to protect children from all kinds of abuse in Pakistan; in this connection, he said that it is the provincial government’s responsibility to improve the protection mechanism and introduce laws, rules, regulations for the protection of children from violence abuse and exploitation.
He added that the KP government enacted the first-ever child protection law in 2010, under which the provincial level Child Protection and Welfare Commission was established.
The KP child protection and Welfare commission established 12 child protection Units at the district level, initiating a mechanism at the provincial, district, and community level. Identified 30474 cases (18808 boys, 116559 girls, and seven transgender) of children at risk also provided social and financial support of 13954 children from CP funds by the KPCPWC. It is also said that 1066 volunteer child Protection Committees (CPCs) were established at the gross roots level for the purpose of creating awareness and coordination etc.. Saima Qadeer Executive Director Group Development Pakistan of the opinion that a lot has been done by Pakistan and adopted so many laws regarding child protection which is welcoming.
She said that implementation of the laws related to children is a need of the day. She further said that eight out of 13 child courts had been established in KP, which is rarely appreciable, but there is a need for the government to allocate enough funds for the implementation children related laws, strengthen coordination with all the stakeholders, and focus on creating mass awareness related the issues, laws and the existing mechanism and services.
Tayyab Qureshi Chief Khateeb highlighted that child protection is our religious responsibility and our religion. There is no space for any kind of abuse and exploitation of children.
Chief guest Mr. Shaukat Yousafzai, Minister of Labor and Human Rights said that it is not a hidden reality anymore that children suffer a range of protection concerns. Our government is committed to honouring all international and national obligations regarding the protection and welfare of children. He said that the KP government has already allocated a budget and the commission is in the process of filling all the vacant positions of 12 district child protection units. And soon with proper budget allocation to extend this program to the entire districts in the province.
He said that children are our real assets and we will take care of all their issues.