October 23, 2002	Wednesday	Sha’aban 16,1423

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MUZAFFARABAD, Oct 22: AJK Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan has criticized the United Nations for its role in resolving the political conflicts around the globe.

“The efforts of the UN for children’s welfare are appreciable, but the same on the political side are not worth praising. The world body should resolve political conflicts, amicably, so that children across the globe could breathe in a peaceful atmosphere,” remarked the premier at the opening session of a two-day workshop on preparation of policy and plans of action for children.

The workshop was organized by the AJK social welfare and women development department in collaboration with the National Commission for Child Welfare and Development, UNICEF and an NGO, Save the Children, at a local hotel.

“As far as the political side is concerned, the UN has become a tool in the hands of a big power and is working on its dictates,” said Mr Khan in an apparent reference to the United States.

“Children are not safe in Palestine as well as in the occupied Kashmir, but the UN is doing nothing to protect them. Rather Israel and India have been given permission to commit terrorism,” he added.

He regretted that there was one yardstick for the Muslims and another for the others.

“There are guns in the hands of children, which we have to snatch from them. But this can only happen when their grievances are removed,” he said, adding those were the bitter facts which no one could ignore.

He noted with satisfaction that both the literacy rate and the average of school going children in AJK were much higher than that of the four provinces of Pakistan.

The AJK prime minister said that he had allocated Rs10 million and approved 20 kanals of land in the Kotli district for establishing an institute for the rehabilitation of special children, but regretted that he had not received a report from the relevant department about it.

The premier asked the participants to help AJKSWWD department prepare the report for the establishment of the institute.

He also assured the participants that his government would enforce the policy and plans for the children’s welfare.