Source: Daily Dawn
Date: February 9, 2011
KARACHI, Feb 8: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday put the provincial government, the home department, the Karachi district coordination officer and the provincial police chief on notice on a petition seeking shelter, education and basic necessities to 32,500 street children in Karachi.
A division bench comprising Justices Gulzar Ahmed and Imam Bux Baloch put off the hearing to March 1.
The petition was filed by Iqbal Kazmi, a representative of the Human Rights Commission for South Asia, who submitted in the petition that as many as 32,500 street children in the city had been forced to become sex workers, beggars or do menial jobs.
Referring to a survey conducted by his organisation, he stated that 17,000 children had trickled into the metropolis from different parts of the country.
The petitioner submitted that 2,800 children were being forced to earn their living as sex workers, while over 12,000 children were involved in begging. Besides, he said, over 11,530 children were working in different restaurants; 1,685 at different workshops and garages; and 9,860 were working at different industrial units and fish harbour.
The petitioner stated in the petition that 7,840 children were involved in crimes and their cases were pending in different trial courts, while only 17 children were presently kept at Remand Home, set up especially for underage prisoners. He submitted that the government was responsible for provision of education and shelter to the street children but unfortunately despite the presence of several laws for child safety no step was being taken to provide basic facilities to street children.
He stated that the social welfare department, which was responsible for the welfare of the children, was not performing its duties despite allocation of Rs119.450 million budget for the purpose.
For more details please click on link: http://www.dawn.com/2011/02/09/notices-issued-on-plea-for-rights-of-street-children.html
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