April 14, 2007	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 25, 1428

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PESHAWAR, April 13: A child rights organisation is preparing a draft of the NWFP borstal bill in consultation with lawyers, media and legislators for setting up and regulating borstal institutions in the province.

The organization will discuss the issue with lawyers and lawmakers to formulate a draft of the bill and refer it to provincial human rights committee and other departments concerned, said Jehanzeb Khan, regional manager of the Society for the Protection of Rights of the Child (Sparc). He was speaking to media persons at a one-day consultation on ‘debate on NWFP borstal bill’ here on Friday.

“We cannot make laws but we can lobby, hold debate and convince the government to consider issues requiring legislation,” said Mr Khan.

Borstal institutions are necessary as presently adolescent offenders were detained along with adult prisoners which resulted in abuse and mistreatment of such children, said Noor Alam Khan, who is also chairperson of the Voice of Prisoners, working for the welfare of juveniles.

The NWFP government has already declared a section of central jails in Bannu and Haripur districts as borstal institutions but because of the lack of a law to regulate these institutions, juvenile offenders could not benefit from it, Mr Khan said.

Noor Alam Khan gave an overview of the situation of such institutions in Faisalabad, Bahawalpur and Karachi.

Mr Khan pointed out the lacunas in laws, including the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance 2000.The participants suggested that these institutions should be set up at regional or district level and a law should be formulated as soon as possible.

They proposed that as a pilot project, borstals in Bannu and Haripur jails should be separated and trained staff should be appointed, adding that funding for the project could be provided from the Access to Justice programme.

A visiting committee comprising judges, child rights activists, media persons, district government, lawyers and NGOs should be set up by the provincial government to monitor the institutions.