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| India-Pakistan |
| 40 juvenile suicide bombers in custody, says Mian Iftikhar |
| 2010-07-18 |
| [The News (Pak)] The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government on Thursday announced that terrorists would be dealt with in accordance with the law irrespective of their age and sex. The announcement was made at a briefing jointly conducted by Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Minister for Law Barrister Arshad Abdullah and Minister for Social Welfare Sitara Ayaz. Reporters were also briefed about the Child Protection Law. Provincial government spokesman Mian Iftikhar Hussain said around 40 juvenile suicide bombers and several families were in custody and would be dealt with under the law of the land. The minister said the families with juvenile militant members were also kept in protective custody because they had links with those carrying out target-killings in Swat. He added that the rate of target-killings in Swat had considerably dropped after confinement of these families and children. "Everyone, juvenile or adolescent, is equal in the eyes of the law and would be punished if found guilty," he added. The minister said for those in custody, the government had adopted a full-fledged rehabilitation mechanism and a psychiatrist had been hired for the purpose. KP Minister for Social Welfare and Women Development Sitara Ayaz said the government had promulgated the Child Protection and Welfare Ordinance on June 9 to protect their rights and ensure welfare. She said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Ordinance had also been tabled in the provincial assembly and the government had set up the commission for the protection of the child and the directorate in the province. "Child protection units would also be set up at the district level," she added. The minister said before this law, the Social Welfare Department could neither pick the street children, beggars and orphans nor there was any punishment for the habitual beggars. "But now after this law, the Social Welfare Department could pick up children and the beggars from the street." |
| Posted by:Fred |