The Federal Ombudsman Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi has initiated a Pilot research study to address the plight of street children in Islamabad Capital Territory. For this purpose, he has constituted a task force which will assist the research team of Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat in carrying out the research study and also suggest the way forward to cope with the issue. The Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat issued a notification in exercise of the Federal Ombudsman’s powers under Article 18 & 19 of P.O.No.1 of 1983. The Federal Ombudsman is looking into the issues of children in the absence of a Child Ombudsman in Pakistan. The Ombudsman said that negligence in addressing the issues of street children is a problem that has persisted for long in the history of development of big metropolitan centers.
He said that though it is difficult to assess the number of street children but unfortunately the number is on the rise with the increase in the country’s population while urbanization also continues at a rapid pace. This necessitates a study to gauge the plight of street children. He informed that the study would initially be confined to ICT and would be later replicated in the other parts of the country. The objective of this study is to evaluate the plight of the street children and devise a mechanism to address these issues.
The Task force includes Ms. Afshan Tehseen, Chairperson National Commission on Human Rights of Child (NCRC), Ms. Shaheen Atiq ur Rehman, Vice Chairperson of Bunyad Foundation, Ambassador (R) Fouzia Nasreen, Ms. Manizeh Bano, ED, NGO Sahil, A senior Officer of Chief Commissioner ICT, A senior Officer of ICT Police, rep. of Iqra University, rep. of Quaid e Azam University. A rep. of Social Welfare Council, ICT and Syeda Viqar un Nisa, Grievance Commissioner for Children & Transgender, WMS as Secretary of the Task Force.
