ISLAMABAD, Apr 11 (APP):Chairperson of the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) Ms Afshan Tehseen on Monday called for joint national efforts to ensure that street and homeless children were not overlooked and ignored in national priorities.
The NCRC chairperson, in her statement on the eve of the International Day for Street Children, said, “Childhood is the most important phase of human life. It is during this stage that the foundations are laid for a healthy and successful adult life.”
The formative lived experiences of street children, she said, could make or break their personalities, ultimately affecting the society as a whole. It was time to take action so that street children were no longer invisible. “We must make efforts to provide them inclusive, quality education for all, health care, and nutrition programmes,” she stressed.
Ms Afshan Tehseen said,”The Commission recommends that the government develop models and strategies for prevention, response and rehabilitation to keep children from ending up on the streets. There is a need to develop a multi-sectoral, holistic national strategy for street children that addresses education and protection across Pakistan.
“Improving the situation of street children in Pakistan is a collective responsibility that requires a coordinated response from government agencies and civil society organizations.
She said the street children were a major social problem in Pakistan.
The Commission, in collaboration with Cities for Children, she said, had undertaken a study to improve understanding of the phenomenon of street children in Pakistan. “The study provides policy makers and civil society with an overview of the situation of street children in Pakistan and makes recommendations to facilitate informed decisions for initiating system-wide changes to protect them.”
The study, she added, would be launched in Islamabad on April 20.
