PESHAWAR, Nov 02 (APP):The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission (KP CP&WC), together with Abdullah Fadil, Representative, UNICEF Pakistan on Thursday officially inaugurated the Child Protection Unit (CPU) in Chitral Lower.
The ceremony was hosted by Muhammad Ali, Deputy Commissioner, Chitral Lower and was attended by key stakeholders, government officials, representatives from civil society organizations, academia, parents and children from the district.
Muhammad Ali, Deputy Commissioner of Chitral Lower said that the Child Protection Unit aimed at working together with all relevant line departments, stakeholders and service providers for the protection of children from abuse and harm.
He also committed his leadership and supervision to the CPU for making it successfully coordinates its work and provides due protection to children at risk of abuse, violence and exploitation.
Ijaz Muhammad Khan, Deputy Chief Protection Officer of KP Child Protection and Welfare Commission provided a detailed briefing to all the participants about the process and journey of child protection system development in the province and mentioned that the government through its own funding and technical support from UNICEF, has established Child Protection Units in 21 districts and Fronter Regions (FRs) in the province.
He also emphasized on the role of District Child Protection Committees under the chairmanship of respective Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and appreciated Muhammad Ali for establishing the D-CPCs in Chitral Lower, already.
Professor Dr Sanaullah, Head of the Department of Sociology at the University of Chitral, also highlighted the role of state and cavity society institutions working together for the prevention of child protection issues.
Sohail Ahmad, a Child Protection Specialist from UNICEF, emphasized on the importance of Child Protection System, as a holistic and multi-sectoral approach and appreciated the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) for its leadership and investing public finances for establishing 21 CPUs in the province.