ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi has said that the government is committed to protect children from all types of exploitation, exclusion and marginalisation.
In his message to the nation on Universal Children’s Day – annually observed on November 20 – the president said it is the government’s obligation to protect children and provide them access to development opportunities without any discrimination on the basis of status, caste, creed or religion.
He said the government is endeavouring to provide children with equal opportunities and an enabling environment to excel in every sphere of life.
“We reiterate our pledge towards promotion and protection of children’s rights in the country,” he said and added that the government is carrying forward an agenda for substantial reforms which would have a salutary impact on the lives of children in future.
“This includes an action plan on child abuse, actualisation of the Juvenile Justice Act and setting up of the National Commission on the Rights of the Child,” he added.
The president said while the government is fully alive to its responsibilities, there is, however, a need for all the stakeholders to work in the same direction. “The task of child welfare requires partnerships of all public and private agencies.”
The president called upon media, the corporate sector, community, parents and children themselves to come together and play their constructive role in the national effort to improve the lives of children across Pakistan.
