- Advertisement -
LAHORE, Dec 16 (APP):Punjab Home Department Secretary,Dr.Ahmed Javed Qazi on Tuesday chaired an important meeting at the Home Department to review the Child Protection Policy framework and the coordinated strategy and linkages among all relevant institutions.
The meeting was attended by Chairperson Child Protection & Welfare Bureau (CPWB) Sarah Ahmed,Additional Secretary Home Asma Cheema,Director General(DG) Rao Nadeem Akhtar,Programme Lead Child Protection UNICEF Pakistan Zahida Manzoor and other relevant officials.
Secretary Home Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi said Punjab had become the first province to approve a comprehensive Child Protection Policy aimed at safeguarding children’s rights.
He said the policy provided a practical framework for the protection of children’s rights and reiterated zero tolerance for violence, abuse and exploitation against children.
He added that all stakeholders had been brought on one page to make the child protection mechanism effective across the province.
The secretary said the Home Department was also running a “Good Touch,Bad Touch” awareness campaign for child protection.
He maintained that implementation of the Child Protection Policy would help establish a safe and dignified society for children,while the new policy would ensure institutional coordination and an effective response mechanism.
Dr Ahmed also reviewed the performance of Child Protection Units established across the province,stating that children were being provided safe shelter,food,education,healthcare facilities,along with psychological and legal assistance. He added that a special helpline for child protection had also been established through Emergency 15.
Chairperson CPWB Sarah Ahmed termed the approval of the Child Protection Policy a historic milestone for the protection of children. She said the policy reflected the Chief Minister Punjab’s strong commitment to children’s rights and would strengthen the child protection system across the province.
She further said that legislation for child protection and effective coordination among institutions was being ensured, adding that the CPWB, in collaboration with UNICEF Pakistan, was implementing a case management system to safeguard children’s rights.