PESHAWAR: The federal ombudsman has formed committees and appointed children rights commissioners to help children faced with violence.

Speaking at a consultative meeting here on Wednesday, Federal Ombudsman Syed Tahir Shahbaz said that his office was taking measures to provide protection to women and children faced with insecurity and violence.

According to a press release, Ijaz Ahmad Qureshi, a senior adviser and National Commissioner for Children, was also present at the meeting.

After the meeting, the federal ombudsman told journalists that all provincial ombudsmen and provincial governments were coordinating with each other for the welfare and security of the children. Around 40 per cent children in the country live below the poverty line.

He said that about 40 million children were facing difficulties in getting education besides having problems like abuse and insecurity.

The federal ombudsman office has set up committees to look into such complaints and issues.

The federal ombudsman office has also appointed child rights commissioners to help children faced with problems like abuse. The commissioner would take timely action to provide protection to children in risk.

Ijaz Ahmad Qureshi said on the occasion that a task force was looking into issues relating to child labour and other such problems. He said that an open assembly or meeting was held in schools to create awareness among children about their rights.

Many training workshops were also held in the provinces about child rights, he added.

He said that a committee ordered by Supreme Court of Pakistan was looking into reforms in prisons that had children inmates too. A committee, headed by Asma Jehangir, visited various prisons to assess situation in country’s jails.

Mr Qureshi also talked about various other efforts including getting prisoners released by paying their fines, arranging for education as well as setting up a ‘sweet home’ in a prison in Lahore and providing the prisoners with books and other equipment to involve them in educational activities.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2017