The government is working on a National Plan of Action on Child Rights under which suitable amendments would be incorporated in the existing laws to protect the rights of children. "Provincial Commission for Child Welfare and Development (PCCWD) has initiated different studies through consultants to prepare recommendations for the plan of action, "PCCWD Co-ordinator Amir Waheed told PPI.
He said an effective policy was imperative to address all the child rights violation issues in the country.
Amir Waheed said in that regard the PCCWD had convened a review meeting on November 22 to discuss plan to set up drop-in centres in the province from next year (2005). Initially, they would be launching the first pilot centre in Karachi in which street children would be given shelter, protection, education, healthcare facilities and psychotherapy, he said.
Children were insecure in the streets where police victimised them, criminals and narcotics brokers used them for their heinous motives hence they needed permanent rehabilitation, he said.
In fact, the country had already laws against child labour, and for protecting the child rights but lack of proper implementation had always created problems, Waheed said.
That was serious matter and government should take possible steps. It was the need of hour to set up certain centres at district level to save future of hundreds of runaway children, he added.
Child labour, juvenile crime, street children, child abuse were global issues and Pakistan too was facing similar problems.
The organisations working on the issue of street children believe at least 15,000 such children live at Karachi streets while the PCCWD official said street children could be found in each town and the city of Sindh including Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana.
A Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) report said about 4,500 children bellow 18-year age had been in different jails and majority of them were being abused by jail staff and prisoners. Children were facing mental and physical torture everywhere at homes, schools, workshops and police station and they needed protection.
Government of Pakistan had announced in 2001 to ensure education to 60-75 percent children by 2004 but the HRCP report said 6 million children were still out of schools.
Pakistan, according to Article 33 of the United Nations Declaration is responsible to provide children protection from abuse, sexual harassment, trafficking and other kinds of victimisation.