Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said the government was fully determined to ensure rights of children, particularly inclusive development, education, healthcare, participation, dignity and security as envisaged in the United Nations Convention.

In his message on Universal Children’s Day, the Prime Minister said children were the most precious resource of any nation and the sole guarantee for its future.

He said Pakistan joined the world community in celebrating the Universal Children’s Day 2020, as an occasion to reaffirm commitment to the fundamental principles of its Constitution, United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and United Nations Convention.

The Prime Minister mentioned that the government had initiated various programmes to ensure protection of children’s rights in the country.

He said a National Commission on the Rights of Child had been set up which monitors their rights situation in the country. Two Children, a girl and a boy have been given representation in the Commission.

The Prime Minister said the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Act, 2020 had been enacted for the protection of missing and abducted children.

The Juvenile Justice System Act, 2018 and ICT Child Protection Act, 2018 had been enacted to provide care and protection to children, he added.

The manifesto of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf provided for enhanced focus on childhood nutrition, child-friendly learning environment, educating the children, promoting early screening and interaction for children with disabilities.

He said the government had also initiated programmes like healthcare for all, transforming education and unleashing the potential of the youth. Moreover, the expansion of social safety net, providing clean drinking water and tackling climate change are also among the priority areas, he said.

Imran Khan said besides, a caring system for people with special needs was also being created. The rule of law and economic justice were being ensured by undertaking various measures, he added.

He said the government was constantly monitoring the COVID-19 situation in the country and accordingly taking all possible appropriate measures in collaboration with provincial governments and development partners to mitigate its adverse effects on people.

He said the creation of a violence-free society and ending child abuse was one of the present Government’s priority areas among others as the future of Pakistan lied with the children.

The Prime Minister reaffirmed his pledge for protection of child rights in the country, enabling them to become productive members and citizens of the society and the State respectively.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training on Friday in order to promote Distance Education System in the country, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Radio Pakistan, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for the establishment of “Radio Schools”.

The MoU signing ceremony was attended by Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz, Secretary Education Ms Farah Hamid Khan, and Secretary Information and Broadcasting Zahida Parveen.

The establishment of Radio Schools was a major step towards ensuring children’s access to education at doorstep to save their educational loss due to Covid-19.

This step has been taken under the light of Prime Ministers vision of providing education to each and every child.

The children belonging to far flung areas would take benefit from this initiative of Federal Education Ministry as the Radio Pakistan has complete access across the country. Radio Schools would broadcast educational programmes from 10 am to 12 pm in the morning while the same will be repeated in the evening so that the children working in workshops would take benefit from it and not deprived of the basic right of education. These programs can also be accessed through Internet and Mobile App.

Minister for Federal Education Shafqat Mehmood said that the girls who do not have access to schools due to any reason, would be major beneficiaries of this initiative of the government. “Our government was providing education to students especially the girls at their door steps aiming at to provide education to them” he remarked. Shafqat said that last year Education Ministry in collaboration with Pakistan Television launched Teleschool project from which around eight million children were taking benefit on daily basis.