Plan afoot to curb beggary in ICT ‘permanently’

Capital police chief seeks proposals from experts, human rights activists


APP April 01, 2021

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police in collaboration with experts are drawing up a plan to permanently curb beggary in the federal capital by adopting initiatives with a long-term approach.

The issue was discussed in a meeting held here with Inspector General of Police Qazi Jameel-ur-Rehman in the chair, an official privy to the development told APP on Wednesday. During the meeting, the experts floated multiple proposals to eradicate beggary and called for making the rehabilitation centres in the federal capital fully functional with a special emphasis on ensuring the protection of children and women.

National Commission for Human Rights' member Muhammad Shafique told the meeting about three fully-functional rehabilitation centres in Islamabad. These are Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Centre, Pakistan Centre and Child Protection Centre.

The member said the absence of a law allowing beggars’ detention, and the bigger issue of detaining women and children involved in beggary posed a major hurdle in the fight against professional alm-seekers

National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) member from ICT Dr Robina apprised the committee about the capacity and existing facilities of the rehabilitation centres in Islamabad. She said the Child Protection Center Humak had a vocational training facility, but was non-operational at present and yet to be notified under the ICT Child Protection Act as a child protection institution.

The meeting participants were asked to identify buildings in the federal capital that could be used to set up additional rehabilitation centres. The meeting participants decided that a strategy to tackle beggary would be presented at the next meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2021.

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