PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission is facing serious financial problems within six years of its establishment and thus, causing fears about the closure of many of its child protection units in different districts.

“The Child Protection Unit in Peshawar has been closed for the last two years. The reason for the closure was financial constraints,” a relevant official told Dawn requesting anonymity.

Soon after the establishment of the CPWC as an autonomous body for the protection and rehabilitation of children at risk, the Unicef and Save the Children extended support and established child protection units in 12 districts of the province.

Many units working under CPWC facing closure

The Unicef and provincial government had signed an agreement under which the former had made a commitment to establish the child protection units, while the government was committed to covering two units under its budget every year.

The sources however said the provincial government had so far not covered a single CPU under its budget.

“We fear that these units, too, will be closed as the Unicef has pledged its financial support for CPUs until Dec 2017. Eleven CPUs will be closed down, while its employees will become jobless if the provincial government doesn’t take their financial responsibility,” said a source.

The source said the CPWC tasked with the herculean task of protecting children at risk had got only Rs10 million a year since its establishment.

He said the commission had 22 employees at provincial level and 48, mostly professionals, at CPUs but its annual allocations were not even enough to pay salary to staff members.

“Many employees are getting salary after a delay for so many months. Their own families and children are at risk,” lamented a CPWC staff member.

Another source said the commission had been working without top boss, chief protection officer as the contract of the previous CPO expired two years ago.

Information minister Shah Farman wasn’t available for comments despite repeated attempts.

The CPWC employees insisted though their organisation faced serious financial problems causing fears about the closure of CPUs, they helped around 28,400 children at risk and referred them to welfare homes and institutes like Zmong Kor.

The PTI government in the province had set up Zmong Kor more than a year ago for street children and children at risk but didn’t provide funds to an existing commission established under the KP Child Protection and Welfare Act 2010 to help such children.

“The Commission and Zmong Kor should have been clubbed to strengthen the efforts to protect and rehabilitate children at risk and street children,” said a source.

He said currently, the CPUs were helping refer the children at risk and those on streets needing protection to Zmong Kor.

The source said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission established under a law had been given many powers and functions but lacked enough annual budgetary allocations but ironically, Zmong Kor having sufficient funds was awaiting clear-cut rules and regulations to further clarify its role in helping children at risk.

He said the commission meant to protect children at risk was itself at risk as its future was in doldrums due to financial issues.

The source said in the absence of the chief protection officer and lack of sufficient funds, the commission’s employees made various expenditure on their own, including purchase of stationary, payment of utility bills, repair and maintenance of office equipment, for the smooth functioning of the organisation, but hadn’t got the money reimbursed.

He said during the tenure of the last chief, the commission had made various purchases, whose payments were yet to be made.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2017