Issues found in orphanages during surprise visits, SHC told

KARACHI: Several problems were found in some orphanages in the province during recent surprise visits of the provincial social welfare department director general, the social welfare secretary has told the Sindh High Court (SHC) in a recent hearing.

The high court had earlier directed the secretary to arrange surprise visits to all the orphanages in the province so that their actual position could be placed on record and it could be ascertained whether they were maintaining beneficial conditions for the dwellers. The direction was given during a hearing of a petition filed by Pakisan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Rabia Azfar seeking strict implementation of the Sindh orphanages law and the Sindh Darul Atfal rules as well as the issuance of a direction to the provincial government to formulate an adoption policy. Filing a report before the SHC, the social welfare secretary submitted that the director general paid surprise visits to 11 orphanages in Karachi and found some discrepancies there, including lack of cleanliness, proper living conditions and playgrounds for the children.