A matter of welfare: Children to be shifted to SOS village

They have been living at Central Prison Peshawar with their mothers

PESHAWAR: Arrangements to shift 30 children from Central Prison Peshawar to an SOS village are in progress and the process will be completed in a few days.

This was said by social activist and lawyer Rakshanda Naz during the monthly meeting of Government Citizens Forum (GCF) on Tuesday. Home and Tribal Affairs Secretary Muneer Azam chaired the meeting.

Rakshanda Naz said the children have been living in the prison with their mothers who were jailed under various criminal and civil charges.

“All these children will be provided proper education and health care after they are shifted to the SOS village,” she said. “There are 94 women at the prison. However, only four of them, charged under petty crimes, do not have lawyers to represent them. I provided them legal representation.”

She added, “Two lawyers are representing these women prisoners in courts and efforts are under way to get them released.”

The social activist told participants that two women held at the facility were reluctant to rejoin their families or relatives once they have been released.

“I discussed the matter with the management of the SOS village and they agreed to make a home for both women,” she said. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2016.