Seminar urges govt to recover missing children
ISLAMABAD: Participants of a two-day seminar, that started on Wednesday, called for the recovery and welfare of missing or exploited children in addition to forming a ‘national network for missing and exploited children’.
The network aims to work for advocacy and provision of legal services to children who suffered violence of any kind.
Participants pressed for an effective system of rights organisations to streamline their efforts for the recovery and relief of missing children.
Zia Ahmed Awan, Lawyer for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA) President, said orphanages and shelters were considered a stigma in society and that the number of missing and exploited children was alarming.He said, “The network of missing children will not be centralised with one organisation or institution. All its members and associates will own it on the basis of rotation.”
Afshan Tehseen of UK-based Save the Children said the rising number of missing children was a tragedy. She said many organisations were working on child issues but most of them lacked coordination, so a platform like the network was badly needed.
Shaheryar Khan of the LHRLA said, “Now is the time for all organisations to work together on children’s issues. Every organisation should speed its efforts to fight violence against children,” he said.
This network will create awareness about issues relating to children in media and will link the police, judiciary and parents to make it easier find missing children.
Source: Daily Times
Date:2/22/2007
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