PESHAWAR, Oct 20: Speakers at a workshop demanded of the government here on Monday to appoint at least 15 men and six women probation officers in the province.

The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc) organised a one-day consultative workshop about ‘Child Rights: The Role of Child Rights Committees’ for the members of Sparc’s child rights committees in Peshawar.

Child rights activists from 15 districts of the province and Bajaur and Mohmand agencies participated in the workshop.

The main objective of the workshop was to discuss the role of child rights committees for improving the juvenile justice, child labour, education, health and corporal punishment situation at the district level.

This workshop was a part of Sparc’s Human and Institutional Development initiative at the grassroots level for the protection and promotion of the child rights.

During the group work, the participants suggested various ways for improving the state of child rights in the province, particularly through work with the concerned government departments for the implementation of children-related laws such as Juvenile Justice System Ordinance 2000, Employment of Children Act 1991 and NWFP Compulsory Primary Education Act 1996 at the district level.

The child rights activists said they would play their role against corporal punishment and create awareness about the menace.

The participants said free legal aid would be provided to all children in prisons and they would try to improve prisons’ conditions for the convicted children.

They further said that they would try to create awareness among the people about the Employment of Children Act 1991, activate the concerned department and lodge complaints under the children act against those employing children unlawfully.

Speaking on the occasion, Sparc’s National Coordinator Anees Jillani said by organising child rights committees at the district level Sparc wished to have a network of child rights activists who would tackle the child rights issues at the district level with the concerned officials.

He said Sparc would not have a project-oriented approach, rather the child rights activists would continue with their efforts.

The participants demanded of the government to extend the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance 2000 to Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata) and appoint at least 15 male and six female probation officers in the province.