KARACHI: The Sindh government has rejected what is said a ‘baseless propaganda’ alleging that the provincial government has planned to close a make-shift / footpath school in the vicinity of the shrine of Sufi saint Abdullah Shah Ghazi (RA), which is being run by a non-governmental organisation. “This is to highlight that a committee has been constituted by the government of Sindh for the welfare and protection of at-risk and underprivileged children. The committee has been also tasked, as per its terms of reference (TORs) to look into the availability of possible options for bringing children of footpath schools into the fold of mainstream education, especially by examining the issue of increasing trends of begging among children in and around shrines and lakes. The broad objectives is to facilitate rehabilitation, schooling and skill development solutions for children / adolescents while exploring the most viable solutions for addressing the issue of footpath schools in the province in general and areas surrounding the shrine proximity of Manchar Lake as test cases,” a statement said Wednesday. The committee consists of secretaries of Social Welfare Department, Auqaf, Religion Affairs, Zakat and Usher Department, Information Department and Special Secretary of School Education and Literacy Department, besides Sindh Education Foundation managing director and director programmes. “In pursuance of its TORs the committee held its first meeting on January 29 2018 with a positive intent to move forward and work together with the civil society that is already engaged in the problem areas. Ocean Welfare Organisation, the NGO running the said footpath school, was invited to discuss the possibility of streamlining the footpath school under the Shahrah-e-Firdousi Bridge opposite to the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi (RA) in Karachi. The School Education and Literacy Department offered to provide a dedicated school building to accommodate and facilitate education of students presently enrolled in the footpath school at different locations in the nearby schools. Moreover, funds for facilitating provision of teachers, furniture and textbooks were pledged on behalf of the government of Sindh as well.” “The Sindh government out rightly denies and rejects all accusations that are being levelled against it as part of a malicious campaign,” the statement concluded. Published in Daily Times, February 8th2018.