Federal, provincial level: Ombudsman appoints children commissioners

Children should be given right to education, health, good environment: SM Zafar

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to protect children’s fundamental rights in the country, the National Children Committee (NCC), working under the umbrella of Federal Ombudsman of Pakistan, has appointed children commissioners in all the four provinces and Islamabad capital territory.

The decision was taken at a meeting of NCC, chaired by former law minister SM Zafar and attended by Federal Ombudsman Salman Faruqui among other officials.

The meeting took the decision to appoint 10 commissioners including SM Zafar, former minister Shaheen Attique-ur-Rehman, Balochistan Assembly Speaker Raheela Durrani, former provincial minister Shama Parveen Magsi, former HEC chairperson Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Fata Grievance Commissioner Begum Jan, Advocate Supreme Court Zia Ahmed Awan, Dr Huma Baqai, Dr Farzana Bari and Samar Minallah.

Addressing the meeting, chairman of the committee, SM Zafar expressed pleasure over the appointment of children commissioners and hoped that it will bring a positive change in society. He maintained that children should be given right to education, health facilities, good environment and other basic rights at any cost as it is a prerequisite in our Constitution.

Federal Ombudsman M. Salman Faruqui in his address said that no one can deny the significance of the role of children in any society and the appointment of children commissioners will be a landmark step by the National Children Committee (NCC).

“They are the silent sufferers having no idea about their fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan,” the meeting noted.

It was also noted that many children were either confined in jails or they were compelled to become professional beggars or forced to involve in child labor. The committee felt that it was imperative to protect their fundamental rights and adopt measures to provide them enabling environment for their growth as useful citizens of the country. The committee observed that the children were suffering hardships despite presence of strict laws protecting their rights against such exploitation.

The children commissioners will be empowered to take suo moto notice on the state of children in respect of any defaulting agencies, besides entertaining complaints filed by the children or their representatives against agencies. It was also decided that for facilitating to file complaints against excesses by any agency or organization, a dedicated helpline will soon be installed.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2016.