ISLAMABAD: Even though it is difficult to assess the number of street children in the capital, it continues to grow with increasing population and rapid urbanisation. Taking these factors into account, negligence in addressing the issues of street children is a problem that has persisted for long in the history of development of metropolitan centres.

This has been highlighted by Federal Ombudsman Ejaz Ahmed Qureshi. In connection with this, a pilot research study to address the plight of street children in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) has been initiated.

Mr Qureshi has constituted a task force that will assist the research team of Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat in carrying out the research study and also suggest the way forward in order to cope with the issue, a statement issued by the secretariat said.

The federal ombudsman is looking into the issues of children in the absence of a child ombudsman in Pakistan.

He said that the study would initially be confined to ICT and would be later replicated in other parts of the country. The objective of this study is to evaluate the plight of street children and devise a mechanism to address these issues, he added.

The task force includes chairperson National Commission on Human Rights of the Child (NCRC) Afshan Tehseen, vice chairperson of Bunyad Foundation Shaheen Atiq ur Rehman, retired Ambassador Fouzia Nasreen, Sahil’s Executive Director Manizeh Bano, chief commissioner Islamabad, representatives of Iqra University, Social Welfare Council and Syeda Viqar un Nisa who is the grievance commissioner for children and transgender people.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2022