‘Provincial child protection body to be functional soon’

After a gap of five years, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has finally given consent to the rules of business pertaining to the Child Protection Authority Act 2011, a move that clears the path for the body to be made fully functional.

Sindh Minister for Social Welfare Shamim Mumtaz informed child rights activist and regional head for the Society for the Protection of the Rights of Child (SPARC), Kashif Bajeer, regarding this development on Monday and assured him that the implementation of the law would commence soon to ensure a violence-free tomorrow for Pakistan’s children.

She said the authority was not yet fully functional owing to a delay in drafting the rules of business, but asserted that dedicated efforts were being made to this end.

Mumtaz pointed out that the CM’s decision came soon after she had convened a meeting on the matter in August this year.

With just one child protection unit working in Karachi, she mentioned that a total of 15 were operational in Sindh with collaboration of non-governmental organisations.

Urging civil society activists to support this initiative, the minister also said a helpline dedicated to children’s issues, 1121, would also be reactivated in province.