By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Monday said the government was determined to ensure inclusive development, education, healthcare, participation, dignity and security for “all our children, as envisaged in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child”. He said the children were the most precious asset of any nation and the sole guarantee for its future prosperity.
Addressing an event in connection with the Universal Children Day, the prime minister said the government was fully devoted to the well-being and safety of the children. The government and non-government organizations and the society as a whole should contribute towards the noble cause of safeguarding the children rights and to make their future safe and prosperous, he added. The Universal Children’s Day is being celebrated under the theme “For every child, every right” to reaffirm the commitment to safeguard the rights and well-being of children.
The prime minister on the occasion launched the ZARRA Alert App – a mobile application that can be used to report missing and abducted children. Appreciating the endeavours of National Commission on the Rights for Children (NCRC) and the Ministry of Human Rights for launching the ZARRA Alert App, he highlighted it was the collective effort of all stakeholders involved.
The prime minister said children were the most precious asset of any nation and the sole guarantee for its future prosperity.
“On International Children’s Day, we are determined to ensure inclusive development, education, healthcare, participation, dignity and security for all our children, as envisaged in the “UN Convention on the Rights of the Child”.
The prime minister also mentioned the Israel’s oppression on the innocent people, especially the children, in Gaza and called upon the world powers to help end their brutal killing. “We are witnessing the children holocaust in Gaza that must have to be stopped immediately,” he added.
He maintained that the Israeli armed forces had become pigmies in the eyes of the people around the world who were killing the defenceless people and children, instead of fighting with a professional army.
It had become an issue of all mankind that went beyond any religion, he said, adding the world was condemning the Israeli atrocities over the defenceless people of Gaza and the West Bank. “We are doing our utmost endeavours to cease violence in Gaza at the platform of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).”
Later interacting with the differently-abled children, the prime minister said he was amazed by their intellect, perseverance, and desire to positively contribute to the social sphere.
“Their spirit for proving their talents against all odds is simply impressive.” Caretaker Minister for Human Rights Khalil George, on the occasion, said it was the state’s responsibility to protect the children’s rights and help them become respectable citizens in future who would play a vital role in the development and prosperity of the country.
He said the ZARA App was connected with all the police stations and would be helpful in recovering the missing and abducted children. National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) Chairperson Ayesha Raza Farooq said the government was making every effort to protect the rights of every child in the country.
