KARACHI, Nov 6: More than 550 jailed children will be entertained with fun and food at a function being organized in the compound of the Central Prison on Wednesday morning.

This was stated by noted artist and social worker Jimmy Engineer and Pakistan Hotels Association’s chief Syed Arshad Ali at a press conference on Tuesday.

They said various activities were being planned for the over three-hour long function to be held in the Youthful Offenders Industrial School, next to the Central Prison.

They said that besides its more than 550 juvenile offenders, around 50 children living in the women’s prison with their mothers would participate in different sports competitions that were also being planned.

A stage artist, Farzana Naz, who has volunteered to perform at all functions being organized for handicapped children or other such groups of people, will also perform. Puppet show etc were also being organized to entertain the youngsters.

They said that while the children would be entertained on the ground in the Youthful Offenders Industrial School, more than 350 women inmates would not be taken out of their barracks owing to security reasons and they would be provided with food in their barracks.

They said the function was being organized as part of the Fun and Food for the handicapped children launched jointly by them and that they planned to organize more such functions for the disadvantaged sections of society in different cities of the country.

They said they hoped that the children residing in the prison would enjoy the function as a change from their monotonous routine.

They said that by organizing such function they wanted to convey a message to the jailed children that society had not forgotten them. This small gesture might bring a change to their thinking and they would also become good citizens when they come out of the prison.

They said that more pathetic was the condition of the children who were either born in jail or were residing with their mothers as they had nobody else to care for them. This function might prove a whiff of fresh air for these youngsters.

They urged the moneyed people to take time out from their busy schedules and also spend some money for the disadvantaged class of society.

They also urged the people to be sympathetic towards the people who had come out of prisons after serving their sentences and help them rehabilitate in society as they had already served their sentences for the crimes they had committed, and give them a chance to become law-abiding citizens.