April 30, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 23, 1429

PESHAWAR, April 29: Around 65 street children were unified with their families in the provincial capital on Tuesday.

The Society for the Protection of the Rights of Child (Sparc) had found these children on the streets and had taken them to its Drop-in Centre.

According to a press release, after giving psycho-social counselling to the children, the organisation convinced them to go back to their homes and they agreed to do so.

In the reunification process, the organisation’s staff was helped by local nazims, bus stands administration, police, the Social Welfare Department, Sparc’s district child rights committees -- voluntarily working for the protection of the rights of the child in more than 50 districts in Pakistan.

The children were handed over to their parents in the presence of local nazims and elders of the local communities after the parents assured not to punish them for leaving homes. These families were also informed about child rights and risks on the street on the occasion. The children were mostly from Karachi, Chakwal, Gujar Khan, Lala Mussa, Lahore, Mohmand Agency, Bajaur Agency, Swat, Dir, Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, Hangu, Abbottabad and Nowshera.