Juvenile justice committees set up in Haripur, Mansehra

Newly-formed entities to assist youngsters facing legal challenges

ABBOTTABAD:

Juvenile justice committees have been established in the Haripur and Mansehra districts of the Hazara division to provide legal assistance to juveniles facing legal challenges.

However, plans are on the anvils to form a committee in Abbottabad.

“The significance of these committees stems from their crucial role in the Juvenile Justice Rules 2023, said Asad Saeed Khan, President of Haripur District Bar Association. He pledged to provide legal assistance to juveniles through these committees.

Senior Lawyer Saeed Akhtar Advocate during a one-day seminar on the juvenile justice system, organized by the Lahore-based NGO Sanjog at the district bar association on Saturday said all possible steps would be taken to activate dormant committees.

The seminar was part of a series of workshops conducted by the NGO in various bar associations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to raise awareness, particularly among legal professionals.

Choudhary Waheed Advocate, Senior Lawyer and Chairman of the Child Protection Committee Lahore Bar, outlined that a Juvenile Justice Committee should comprise four members, including a judicial magistrate, a district public prosecutor, a bar member with at least seven years of standing, and a probation officer or social welfare officer appointed by the sessions judge for a two-year term.

The seminar saw the participation of male and female lawyers, social activists, former judges, probation officers, child protection officers, and concerned citizens. President of the district bar in Abbottabad, Sardar Basharat, also attended the session, along with Ex-District Judge Raja Masood, Naveed Ahmad Khan, and Muhammad Amir, Senior Probation Officer.

Read CM orders free legal aid to juvenile prisoners

Social Welfare Officer Saira, Farzna Jadoon, Child Protection Officer, and Khalid Saeed, adviser to the federal ombudsman, also addressed the gathering. Ch Waheed, in his presentation, emphasised the features of the Juvenile Justice System Act 2018 and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Juvenile Justice System Rules 2023, highlighting the prohibition on disclosing the identity of any juvenile.

Any individual found printing or publishing information that reveals the identity of a juvenile may face imprisonment of up to three years and a fine, he said.

The CEO of Sanjog, Hafiza Tayyaba, welcomed the participants and shared that Sanjog has been actively involved in creating awareness about juvenile laws and reforms for the past fifteen years.

Rawalpindi Division Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatta has said “Foolproof security will be ensured for the Christian community on Christmas.”

He was attending a Christmas event as a special guest on Friday. Chatta emphasised that every religion advocates love for humanity.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2023.