Zamung Kor, Panagahs to get budget boost

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has directed that the operational costs of the province's key social welfare initiatives, Zamung Kor (Model Institute for State Children) and Panagahs (Shelter Houses), be incorporated into the regular provincial budget to ensure their long-term sustainability. He emphasized that running such programs through grant-in-aid is not a viable solution. These directives were issued during a high-level meeting on the affairs of Zamung Kor and Panagah projects.

The meeting was attended by provincial cabinet members Syed Qasim Ali Shah and Muzammil Aslam, Additional Chief Secretary Planning and Development Ikramullah Khan, and senior officials from relevant departments. During the meeting, it was decided in principle to establish additional Zamung Kor centers across various districts and to set up a separate Zamung Kor center for girls in Peshawar.

Furthermore, projects for Zamung Kor centers in the Malakand and Hazara divisions will be included in the upcoming Annual Development Program. The meeting also approved the arrangement for a permanent building for the Zamung Kor center currently operating in a rented facility in Dera Ismail Khan. Additionally, it was agreed to recruit permanent staff for Zamung Kor centers and to upgrade existing Panagahs across different regions of the province.

The Chief Minister instructed officials to address shortcomings in the Panagahs and ensure they are upgraded to state-of-the-art facilities in the next budget cycle. Expressing displeasure over the non-payment of salaries to Panagah staff, he ordered the immediate disbursement of pending wages.

Background

It may be recalled that in 2019, then-Chief Minister Mahmood Khan approved the opening of Zamung Kor campuses in Abbottabad, Swat, and DI Khan. He also sanctioned the establishment of a Zamung Kor campus for female children in Peshawar and directed authorities to acquire land and buildings for this purpose.

During discussions on the extension of Zamung Kor, the Chief Minister met with a delegation from Azad Foundation UK at the Chief Minister's House in Peshawar. The foundation provided a detailed presentation on the rehabilitation of street children, including their education and integration into society. One notable success story highlighted in the meeting was a former street child who became a prominent player in the Pakistan Premier Football League in Karachi.

The meeting also reviewed previous decisions of the PTI government regarding social protection for street children, relevant legislation, and proposed guidelines for supporting vulnerable children, beggars, and child laborers through geo-mapping data collection.