By Asim Shahzad
LAHORE: The Punjab government has approved the province’s first child protection policy to ensure the role of institutions in protecting children’s rights. In this regard, the policy was approved by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in a cabinet meeting.
Civil society organizations and child rights advocates across Punjab have warmly welcomed the approval of the province’s first-ever Child Protection Policy by the Punjab Cabinet. This landmark decision has been hailed as a crucial step toward protection and well-being of children in the province.
Salman abid.Iftikhar Mubarik, rashida qureshi praised the approval, describing it as a significant move by the provincial government. While appreciating this positive development, he emphasized the importance of backing the policy with adequate budgetary allocations to ensure its implementation in true letter and spirit. “With the provincial government currently finalizing its annual budget, this is the right time to allocate sufficient resources for child protection and well-being,” Mubarik stated. He further stressed the need for an Action Plan under the policy that defines clear roles and responsibilities for various administrative departments, including the School Education Department, Special Education Department, Prosecution Department, Planning & Development Department, Police, Health Department, Social Welfare & Bait-ul-Maal Department, Punjab Social Protection Authority, the legal community, civil society organizations, INGOs, and UN agencies. Coordinated interventions must be streamlined to achieve the policy’s goals effectively.
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