Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the orphanages in the province to get themselves registered immediately under the Orphanage Law and directed the Chief Secretary Sindh to devise a mechanism for getting an orphan his "identity" being the citizen of the country. The SHC directed that Orphanages should not resort to eye wash by providing sub-standard education to the children in the name of vocational training.
All Orphanages must improve the standard of formal and vocational education for the children and make efforts to modernize their education system at primary and secondary level leading towards college and university education in a manner that it must eventually result in the benefit of children when they are groomed and reach the age of self-dependence, a single bench of the SHC headed by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar ruled in an order related to safe houses and orphanages in the province.
The court directed that orphanages must send the eligible children to government and private education system and the management of private education may be directed to waive educational expenses for orphans as part of their Commercial Social Responsibility (CSR).
It also ruled that orphanages need to maintain data of all children residing/resided with them with all details and reasons for leaving along-with their new destinations. The data management about Orphan girls is more important in order to prevent any wrongdoings with their lives as expressed by this court from time to time.
The court also directed orphanage organizations to get their accounts of last 10 years conducted from a firm of repute and allocate Rs 100 million annually (as demanded by relevant department) endowment fund and increase the same as per decision of the board.
The court ordered that Secretary, Social Welfare Department shall convey orphanage Board meetings quarterly and submit report with minutes. Court also directed Advocate General Sindh and Secretary Social Welfare Department to pursue the amendments in relevant law regarding admission of orphans in private schools and colleges and submit a compliance report 13th May 2019.
Court observed that an 'orphan', undeniably, falls within meaning of a 'citizen' hence he is entitled for his 'identity' which, legally is the CNIC, therefore, it shall be the absolute responsibility of the quarter concerned to formulate a mechanism that without hurting the 'dignity' of such orphan he gets his identity. The court directed the chief secretary to look into the matter personally and proceed further for having a mechanism.