Punjab Minister for Education and Youth Affairs Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan officially launched the Punjab Adolescent Strategy & Strategic Plan 2013-17, here today which has been comprehensively developed under the umbrella of Punjab Youth Policy 2012. In his address to participants of the launching ceremony, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan said the adolescents of aegis between nine to nineteen years are significant part of Pakistan’s population. Of the estimated Pakistani population of 169 million, adolescents make up 26% of the total population. Adolescents go through transition period between childhood and adult hood. The issues and challenges faced by this group undergoing physical, emotional, developmental and hormonal changes, require that they be treated as a distinct segment of the population with specific developmental needs after classifying them into early adolescents from nine to thirteen years of age, middle adolescents from 14 to 16 years of age and late adolescents from 17 to 19 years of age. All these three categories need separate strategies for protection of their rights. The Minister emphasized the need to focus on adolescents to develop their abilities and capabilities up to full potential so that their capabilities be utilized in lien of their natural aptitude besides protecting them from bad company as far as peers are concerned. He stressed upon the parents to take this matter seriously and assured that the government will improve the procedural shortcomings of Punjab Child Protection Bureau in such a way that the safety and security of the adolescents kept in custody of Child Protection Bureau will become foolproof, he added.
The Minister urged upon media and the civil society to play their positive role in timely identification of wrong doings in violation of the Punjab Adolescent Strategy. UNICEF Child Protection Specialists Sohail Abbas and Shagufta Hameed Bhatti, Secretary Youth Affairs, Sports, Archaeology and Tourism Punjab, Dr. Saqib Aziz also spoke on the occasion.