Iconic landmarks in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshwar go blue on World Children’s Day
Almost twenty iconic buildings of Pakistan, including Mazar-i-Quaid in Karachi, Minar-i-Pakistan in Lahore and Parliament building in Islamabad went blue on Wednesday night to commemorate 30 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and World Children’s Day.
Quaid-i-Azam Flagstaff House and Mazar-i-Quaid in Karachi, Prime Minister Secretariat, the Presidency, and the Parliament building in Islamabad, Minar-i-Pakistan in Lahore besides the provincial assembly buildings in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta were among the buildings lit in blue.
In Pakistan, UNICEF and the human rights ministry are pushing children’s agenda forward through a legislative review of the child rights legislation at the federal and provincial levels, and a host of other initiatives.
“As one of the countries that ratified the CRC within a year of its adaption, Pakistan has made significant strides to prioritise children’s issues. However, a lot more needs to be done,” said UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, Aida Girma. “Poverty and social norms are impediments that continue to hold our children back. These must be overcome through collective and accelerated efforts to ensure that all children get equal and all rights everywhere in Pakistan,” she said.
Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari in a message stated that the present government is implementing its legal obligations and also engaging in initiatives to counter malnutrition, provide proper healthcare and education to all children.
The ministry of human rights had adopted a right-based approach to fulfilling obligations to the nation’s children.