Abu Dhabi - Beefing up its borders with Iran to block the route of smuggling out minor children who work as camel jockeys, Pakistan yesterday appreciated the bold initiatives taken by the UAE government in shunning the practice, taking effective rehabilitation measures, besides making it nearly impossible for people who use small kids for camel racing.
Pakistan's Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis, Senator Tariq Azeem Khan called on UAE's Minister of Interior Lt-General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss matters relating to the camel jockeys, the new law, and rehabilitation.
"An estimated 2,500-3,000 children of age 3-6 were feared being used as camel jockeys in the UAE, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar. The UAE has taken a lead in shunning the practice, which had taken the lives of many innocent kids and crippling many others," he told a Press conference in the capital. Pakistani Ambassador to the UAE Air Marshal (Retd) Syed Qaiser Hussain was also present on the occasion. "We have taken effective measures to check the routes used for human smuggling, particularly on the border with Iran, and are trying to break the network," he said.
Unicef offices in the UAE and Pakistan have been involved in efforts to rehabilitate minor children by setting up rehabilitation centres. He said that to ascertain the parenthood of such children who don't know about their parents, DNA tests would be carried out so that these children could be protected from fake parents who may use them to continue the same practice. He said that other Gulf states were also taking steps to stop the use of camel jockeys who were brought from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan and other countries for working as domestic help.
With the help of the UAE government, Senator Tariq said these children would be rehabilitated at the centres in Karachi, where they would be given vocational training so that they can become good citizens. Senator Tariq, who visited the rehabilitation centres at Shahama and Swaihan in Abu Dhabi said that these children need love and affection.
Many children were happy at the rehabilitation centres and were thankful, though they could not express their feelings.
Senator Tariq Azeem Khan said that within the next six months, the government will introduce an 'Overseas Pakistanis Policy', and in this connection, consultative conventions would be organised in London, Rome, and Dubai to discuss the problems of seven million Pakistani expatriates, and to recommend measures which could help them in settling back or investing in the economy.
He said that the Overseas Pakistani Foundation (OPF), which is responsible for the welfare of Overseas Pakistanis is being revamped with its Board of Directors having 50 per cent representation of expatriates.
He said 27 educational institutions being run by the OPF across the country would now have 50 per cent quota for children of Overseas Pakistanis.
© Khaleej Times 2005
