PESHAWAR/CHARSADDA: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi on Wednesday said it was the government’s both constitutional and moral responsibility to ensure child care and protection, so he won’t tolerate any negligence in that respect.

“In line with the vision of [PTI founder] Imran Khan, the concept of a welfare state is being practically implemented in our province, where the state assumes responsibility for the care and protection of vulnerable and marginalised segments of society,” Mr Afridi said during a visit to the child protection institution Zamung Kor and Women Crisis Centre established for orphaned and destitute girls here.

The visit was meant to review facilities and ensure stronger measures related to the welfare and well-being of inhabitants, according to an official statement from the Chief Minister’s Office.

The chief minister took notice of the flu among some girls and immediately called medical professionals for examination and timely treatment.

Afridi reviews facilities at Zamung Kor, Women Crisis Centre

He also ordered the immediate provision of water geysers, heaters, shoes, warm clothing and sweaters to protect girls from the current harsh weather conditions.

Mr Afridi directed the administration to prepare food menus in accordance with the girls’ preferences and nutritional requirements and ensure the uninterrupted provision of healthy and quality food, and said proper nutrition was essential for healthy growth and overall development.

Reiterating that the education, training and comprehensive welfare of orphaned and destitute girls remain among the government’s top priorities, the chief minister said that all available resources would be utilised to achieve those objectives.

Keeping in view the mental, emotional and creative development of the girls, he said that swings, toys, a computer laboratory, painting materials and other recreational facilities should be provided to girls in accordance with their needs so that they could grow and learn in a safe, supportive and positive environment.

Mr Afridi promised the upgradation of the Zamung Kor school and the construction of a new building for the girls’ campus to contribute towards improved educational standards and enhanced learning facilities.

He said that welfare institutions across the province would continue to be strengthened to ensure that deserving individuals didn’t face any sense of deprivation, and that available resources were utilised in an efficient and effective manner to achieve those objectives.

The chief minister also interacted with girls living at Zamung Kor, attentively listened to their concerns, and issued on-the-spot directives for immediate redressal to ensure that no complaint or deficiency remains unresolved.

Also, Mr Afridi conducted a surprise on-ground assessment of the facilities provided to the people and the overall service delivery system at the Citizen Facilitation Centre in Charsadda.

He expressed serious displeasure over undue delays in land transfers and the issuance of ownership records (Fard) and warned authorities of strict action, according to an official statement.

The chief minister directed the district administration to fix duties of patwaris at the Citizen Facilitation Centre on a rotation basis, saying this will ensure that citizens are not forced to visit multiple offices and are provided timely and dignified services under one roof.

Taking notice of power outages, he ordered the upgradation of the solar power system installed at the centre to ensure uninterrupted service delivery and to prevent inconvenience to the public.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2025