CHITRAL: A joint delegation from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission (KPCPWC) and Unicef Pakistan have agreed to strengthen integrated child protection mechanism to make Chitral a model district.

The delegation included chief of Unicef Peshawar field office Radoslaw , chief child protection Jennifer Melton, child protection specialist Belet Berara, chief child protection KPCPWC Ijaz Muhammad Khan and others.

The delegation held a detailed meeting with Rao Muhammad Hashim Azim, deputy commissioner of Lower Chitral, during which they stressed the need for setting up a child protection institution in Chitral to provide a transit shelter for unaccompanied and runaway children.

They also agreed to boost awareness campaigns about children’s rights using print and electronic media. Furthermore, they plan to activate community-based child protection committees, especially in rural areas.

The meetings highlighted that these community structures play a vital role in promoting children’s rights, preventing violence against children and identifying and referring vulnerable children in need of help.

The KPCPWC, in partnership with Unicef, is working on an integrated strategy to strengthen child protection systems across the province while this plan aims to build strong coordination and cooperation among government bodies, community structures, service providers and social service workers.

Child protection officer Chitral Madad Khan said that through this partnership great progress has been made in strengthening district child protection units (DCPUs), community-based child protection committees (CBCPCs), case management systems, referral mechanisms and community-level protection networks.

He said ht the during the visit, the delegation reviewed ongoing child protection efforts at the DCPU in Lower Chitral while they also met with community-based child protection committees, adolescent boys and girls, social service staff and front line service providers.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2026