PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has directed the social welfare department to produce a detailed report about the issues related to street children, including growing drug addiction among them.

A bench consisting of Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Shakeel Ahmad directed the secretary of the social welfare department to submit details of different welfare homes and the number of street children living there, and the steps taken for their betterment.

During a hearing, the court had ordered the social welfare secretary to act as the focal person on these issues along with other relevant departments.

It issued the order while hearing four different petitions on issues related to social welfare and human rights, especially those of children.

Observes if ignored, these children will become drug addicts, beggars

One of the petitions is filed by lawyer Saifullah Muhib Kakakhel against begging by poor children and labour work and their sexual exploitation with the request for the handing over of such children to child protection and welfare institutes.

The petitioner requested the court to issue directives to different government functionaries, including the provincial chief secretary and inspector general of police, to initiate crackdown on vagrants, drug addicts and children at risk, bring them before the relevant court established under the law, and hand over the children at risk to the child protection institutes for their welfare.

He requested the court to direct the Child Protection and Welfare Commission (CPWC) through its chief protection officer to create a complaint cell as well as a committee to rescue the children at risk according to the law, and create an awareness programme through print and electronic media.

Another petition is filed by lawyer Malik Mohammad Ajmal against the increasing number of drug addicts on the streets with the request to issue directions to the federal and KP governments to take steps for the rehabilitation of drug addicts and to prevent the supply of narcotics to them.

The petitioner also requested the court to direct the provincial government to prevent begging on the streets and rehabilitate beggars, especially children and women.

Also, advocate Fakhr-i-Alam Jhagra filed a petition seeking the provision of different rights to children, including their access to education.

Another petition is filed by resident Mohammad Naeem about the rehabilitation of drug addicts. He was represented by lawyer Noor Alam Khan.

During hearing, the secretary of the social welfare department informed the court that the government had launched the Zamong Kor project for the rehabilitation of street children and orphans in Peshawar and had been acquiring buildings in other districts, too, for the purpose.

He said buildings had been rented in Abbottabad and Dera Ismail Khan for street children, whereas 64 kanals of land was being acquired for the purpose in Swat.

The secretary said the Peshawar Zamong Kor imparted education to children living there, while the government had signed agreements with different institutions, including University of Peshawar, Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority, Sarhad Rural Support Programme, Khyber Medical University, Elementary Education Foundation and others, for providing those children with technical education and skills development training.

The bench directed him to include in the detailed report all agreements signed for the well-being of street children.

It observed that if no step was taken for the welfare of street children, they would turn into drug addicts and would be forced to turn to begging.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2022