Pakistan committed to child rights protection: Alvi

All stakeholders need to work in the same direction

ISLAMABAD: The country is committed to protecting the rights of children and provide them with access to development opportunities without any discrimination of status, caste, creed or religion.

This was stated by President of Pakistan Arif Alvi in a statement on Universal Children’s Day while his wife welcomed, for the first time, orphans into the President House for a Mehfil-e-Milaad.

Alvi said that it was their duty to protect children and that the government was committed to protecting its children from all types of exploitation, exclusion and marginalisation.



At the same time, it is endeavouring to provide them with equal opportunities and an enabling environment to excel in every sphere of life.

“We reiterate our pledge towards promotion and protection of children’s rights in the country. The government is carrying forward an agenda for substantial reforms which will have a salutary impact on the lives of children in the future. This includes an action plan on child abuse, implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act, and the setup of the national commission on the rights of the child,” Alvi said in the statement.

While the government is fully aware of its responsibilities there is, however, a need for all the stakeholders to work in the same direction. The task of child welfare requires partnerships of all public and private agencies, he added.

The president urged the media, the corporate sector, communities, parents and children to come together and play their role in the national effort to improve the lives of children in the country.

Mehfil-e-Milaad

Separately, First Lady Samina Alvi said that caring for orphan children by providing them with proper educational facilities and a compassionate environment creates a sense of positivity in the society.

She was speaking at a Mehfil-e-Milad at the President House on Monday with the special theme of ‘caring for orphans’ based on the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2018.