LAHORE – Punjab chief minister (CM) has been taking interest in working for child rights and will receive regular notifications regarding any issues concerning child rights, said advisor to CM Zakia Shahnawaz at a workshop held by Sahil, a child rights organisation.
The workshop attempted to gather professionals from fields related to child rights and issues, including officials from government departments, such as Social Welfare, Child Protection and Welfare Department, Labour Department, Education Department and Human Rights Department.
Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) Deputy Director Ulfat Abbas gave a detailed report about the role and function of the Punjab Destitute and Neglected Child Act and said his department was making all efforts to ensure that any child who was reported to be destitute was brought home, and was given a proper life through education, food and shelter.
Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) Regional Director Salman Abid gave a presentation on the media’s role and how it could help raise child based issues, while helping to condemn any kind of abuse and neglect towards children, especially those who were vulnerable, such as street children.
Afshan Tehsin, from the UNICEF spoke about network development, and Iftikhar Mubarik from Sahil spoke about the UN Convention for the Rights of the Child. Iftikhar said Pakistan was one of the first of the 20 countries who had readily signed the convention in 1990 but a lot was still needed to be done.
Asheema Hussain and Irfan Hote from Action Aid gave a human rights approach to the workshop, maintaining that besides any other kind of benefit that the children could benefit from, the very first principal and reason to protect them was that it was their right. Sahil aims to hold another seminar on February 8, 2011, highlighting the issues of the 18th amendment and its repercussions on child rights.
