K-P ‘leading’ in child welfare projects, says minister

"The key to providing all basic facilities to children was population control," says Mian Iftikhar Hussain.

PESHAWAR:


Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Minister for Information, Mian Iftikhar Hussain lamented that bureaucracy is hindering the process of devolving powers to the provinces. He wanted this progressive step of the incumbent government to be expedited.


He said this while addressing a conference on child rights in light of the 18th amendment and challenges for provincial legislation on Thursday.


The minister said that the key to providing all basic facilities to children was population control and that a commission had been formed for the implementation of projects aimed at welfare for children, including health and education, on both provincial and federal levels. He urged the need for giving preference to the mother language and the curriculum to be revised in the language of this region.

“If Afghans in our country can have the curriculum in their own language why are people pointing fingers at us, saying that the curriculum changed into Pushto will spread hatred,” Hussain questioned.

Regional Manager of Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, Jehanzeb Khan said that after the devolution of powers to the provinces, there should be a strong mechanism at the federal level to address coordination problems and to respond to international commitments and treaties, without which the ratification process will be difficult.

Khan also said that the proposed national child protection policy, the criminal laws amendment bill 2009, the prohibition of corporal punishment bill 2009, the charter of child rights bill 2009, among others should be adopted to honour international commitments and to maintain a standard for child rights.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2012.

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