Round table on child rights

Islamabad

Child rights experts on Monday stressed the need to revisit Child Labour Laws to include effective penalties so that child labour, especially domestic child labour, could be checked effectively.

They shared their recommendations at a round table titles “Round Table Conference for Developing Policy Framework for Social Welfare of Children of ICT” organised by National Council of Social Welfare (NCSW) in collaboration with the Society for the Protection of the Rights of Children (SPARC) Pakistan.

Chairman, National Council of Social Welfare Dr. Nadeem Shafiq Malik chaired the workshop while Chairman, Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) Hasnaat Ahmed, was the chief guest. Prominent Social Worker and Patron in Chief of Pakistan Sweet Homes Zamrud Khan, representatives of NGOs, civil society, students and officials of CA&DD attended the seminar.

Speaking on this occasion, Chairperson NCSW Dr. Nadeem Shafiq Malik said that it is the responsibility of parents and society to provide suitable environment for the better grooming of the children. He said that Prime Minister of Pakistan has a special interest for the social welfare of the Children.

“Under the directions of the Prime Minister, the present government is taking various steps including legislation for the protection of child rights,” he said adding that the progress and prosperity of a country is dependent on the quality of education of its children. “The right to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2012 and Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan protect their rights to education. To make these commitments turn into reality, special measures under the Prime Minister’s Education Reforms Initiative have been taken with a target to improve all aspects of quality education to enable children and young people to achieve recognized and measureable learning outcomes especially, literacy and essential life skills,” he added.

He said these objectives are being materialized through construction of new schools, addition to existing schools, repair and provision of more facilities in the existing schools and arrange free transport services to the children.

“Today’s recommendations given by the experts and representatives of all stakeholders for the welfare and protection of child rights will be included in the policy framework for the child rights with focus to protect the vulnerable children i.e. disable, homeless and street children so that they can also play productive role in the progress and prosperity of the Pakistan.”

Child rights activists and other experts emphasizing that one third of the population of Pakistan is below 18 among which 25 million children out of school. They said that it is very necessary to take steps for their education. They also called for effective implementation of laws to prevent child labour.