A Legal and Analytical Study of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Act, 2010

Abstract

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Act 2010 is an important attempt in legislating for the protection and promotion of children's rights and welfare in the province. This study gives a legal and analytical profile of the Act including its goal, scope, key legal provisions, institutional framework and implementation challenges. It looks at the responsibilities of Child Protection and Welfare Commission in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Child Protection Units, Child Protection Institutions and relevant Courts for protecting children from violence, abuse, exploitation and trafficking and on child labour and harmful practices. The study also examines the concepts of best interests of child, rehabilitation and social reintegration from the perspective of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and Islamic values of justice, compassion and trust. Although the Act offers a comprehensive and well-defined legal approach, financial resources, staff level, institutional coverage, public awareness and weaknesses in implementation and monitoring limit its effectivity. To ensure effective enforcement, sufficient funding, strengthening of institutional mechanisms, adequate professional training, public awareness creation, interdepartmental coordination, and ongoing monitoring are identified in the study. It suggests the provincial government to improve child protection system to put in place the steps to protect the rights of the children and safeguard their welfare in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Keywords: Child Protection, Child Welfare, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Child Protection and Welfare Act 2010, Children's Rights, Islamic Values, UNCRC, Legal Analysis.

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23308736