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ISLAMABAD, Nov 19: President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Saturday reiterated their appeal to the international community asking it to come forward and held restore the livelihood of the children who survived the October 8 earthquake. In his message in connection with the Universal Children Day falling on Sunday, the president said this year the children day had a special significance for us as it followed the massive earthquake which struck Pakistan last month causing colossal loss to children besides others.
He said the government had taken concrete measures to alleviate the sufferings and trauma of the children affected by this natural disaster with timely provision of food, clothing, shelter and medical care.
The president pointed out that a generation had almost wiped out in the quake, urging the international community, NGOs and philanthropists to do more in reintegrating the children into their society and giving them a sense of purpose in their lives.
“As a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC), Pakistan has always been in the forefront of regional and international initiatives and endeavours to uplift the standard of children,” he added.
APP ADDS: The prime minister said in wake of the earthquake, the government was focusing on providing relief and support to the child victims.
Special centres have been set up in NWFP, AJK and the federal capital to give shelter to children who have been rendered orphans or become disabled and homeless, he said.
Proper nutrition, schooling, medical treatment and trauma counselling services are being provided to the children at these centres, he added.
Mr Aziz said at the same time, steps were being taken to reunite the child victims with their kith and kin.
He expressed profound gratitude to the civil society, NGOs, philanthropists, expatriate Pakistanis and the international community for their timely support and assistance.
Pakistan, the prime minister said, had vociferously espoused the cause of children at international level by taking the lead in signing and ratifying the UN Convention on Rights of the Child (CRC) and the ILO Convention on Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour and in organizing the World Summit for Children in 1990.
“In consonance with the relevant provisions enshrined in the Constitution, the Pakistan government has launched a comprehensive national Plan of Action of Children this year for making Pakistan a child-friendly state.
“The plan is directed at raising the standards of children’s living through provision for better education, adequate nutrition, clothing, shelter, medical care and protection against abuse and exploitation.”
