K-P Assembly moves to protect children

Speaker Babar Saleem Swati expressed grief over recent cases of sexual abuse involving children in Haripur, Peshawar and Madain. He said the provincial government, in consultation with Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and the Law Minister, was strengthening the child protection system.

He announced that a new Child Protection Bill would be introduced in the assembly in the name of Aayat Noor. The proposed legislation would provide for special courts to ensure speedy disposal of child abuse cases and recommend severe punishments, including public execution of convicted offenders.

The Speaker said effective legislation was urgently needed to protect children from sexual violence and other heinous crimes. The House also witnessed a discussion over remarks attributed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz concerning other provinces.

Speaker Swati said the comments had hurt the sentiments of people in K-P and Balochistan and urged her to reconsider her words. He said political leaders could debate the performance and policies of governments, but personal attacks and character assassination were unacceptable under Islamic teachings and Pakhtun traditions.

He also recalled the sacrifices of K-P residents and police personnel in the fight against terrorism, saying peace in other parts of the country had been achieved at a heavy cost to the province. Meanwhile, the teacher shortage in higher secondary schools remained a major concern during question hour.

Parliamentary Secretary for Education Rajab Abbasi said 7,946 additional teachers would be recruited, while virtual classes would soon be introduced in areas where teachers were unavailable. He said 8,437 teachers had been recruited through ETEA against 16,800 vacant posts since 2024, while another 10,747 had been hired temporarily.

Members highlighted shortages and non-functional schools in Bajaur, Upper Dir, Bannu and Shangla. ANP member Nisar Baz said Bajaur required 1,685 male and 701 female teachers and had only one girls' high school for a population of about 1.8 million.

The Speaker directed the Finance Department to provide details of pending summaries concerning teacher shortages and reasons for delays. The education secretary also assured members that completed but non-functional schools would be made operational and necessary steps taken to address infrastructure and staffing problems.