SHC takes exception to non-functioning Sindh Child Protection Authority

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has taken exception to the non-functioning Sindh Child Protection Authority observing that at present, the authority was only operating one institute with a capacity of 100 children but there too, only three children were accommodated.

During a recent hearing of identical petitions with regard to the implementation of education, orphanages and child protection laws in the province, a division bench of the high court headed by SHC Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh observed that despite there being a pressing need for addressing the fundamental rights of the children of the province, the Sindh Child Protection Authority was not properly functional.

The high court observed that the authority at present was only operating one institute with the capacity of 100 children but at present only three children were accommodated at the institute.

The bench observed that it was a startling and alarming situation, but no proper explanation had been furnished by the relevant authority. The SHC issued notice to the chief secretary to appear along with relevant documents to assist the court regarding the functioning and performance of the authority as well as address the questions raised in the court orders.

The SHC had in a previous order observed that the petitions with regard to the implementation of the right of children to free and compulsory education law, Sindh Child Protection Authority law and Sindh orphanages laws were appropriate to be heard jointly.

The bench had ordered the education and social welfare departments to submit details with regard to the number of schoolgoing children in each district of the province and policy of the government for establishment of primary and secondary schools in the province and demarcation of school districts.

The high court also called reports with regard to child protection officers and child protection institutes in the province as per the Sindh Child Protection Authority Act, number of cases that had been dealt by the authority and details of orphanages and shelter homes in the province either by the government or private sector.

Earlier, the education department had informed the high court that presently 4,351,148 students, including 2,694,245 boys and 1,656,903 girls were enrolled in 40,796 government schools of the province while 3,044,260 children were enrolled in privately managed schools.

The education department submitted that 44,219 schools had been established in different districts on the basis of requirements or need of specific area, whereas, there were 6407 shelter-less schools in the province and the department had also notified a policy for such schools. The education department mentioned that there were 649,044 students enrolled in madrassas (seminary schools) as per the data received from the home department.

The Sindh Child Protection Authority director general had submitted in a report that there were 30 child protection officers and 30 child protection units in the province. He mentioned that the authority had so far dealt 4,439 cases related to child protection.

The social welfare department submitted that there were 2,301 children enrolled in different public and private orphanages in city, of whom 1,952 children were attending schools while 349 children were not attending schools due to some reasons.

Rights activists and organisations had filed petitions seeking implementation of the 2013 law that makes it incumbent on the government to ensure free and compulsory education of children from age 6 till 16. They also sought implementation of the Sindh Child Protection Authority Act as well as orphanages laws. They submitted that thousands of street children were roaming in the city and several were being used in criminal activities, begging and other anti-social activities.