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conflict-hit areas needed assistance to stay in school.<br />

Street children and children with disabilities<br />

In 2012 Pakistan made no progress in reducing either the number or the<br />

plight of street children nor introduced effective mechanisms for their<br />

protection. SPARC’s annual report for 2011 estimated that there were 1.5<br />

million street children in Pakistan. The report of CCO stated that the number<br />

of street children was growing rapidly, particularly after the 2005 earthquake<br />

and the 2010 floods, following which tens of thousands had been rendered<br />

homeless or orphaned.<br />

Children with disabilities were also a largely ignored segment of the<br />

population in the country in 2012, with the exception of a few sporadic measures<br />

during the course of the year. Pakistan Baitul Mal provided 90,000 wheelchairs,<br />

20,000 white canes, 30,000 hearing aids as well as uniforms for children of<br />

the four Special Education Centres in Islamabad working under the Directorate<br />

General of Special Education and Social Welfare, Ministry of Capital<br />

Administration and Development. In October, the Secretary Capital<br />

Administration and Development (CAD) announced the establishment of special<br />

desks in all government hospitals to provide free medical treatment to persons<br />

with disabilities on priority. In December, the Federal Minister for Capital<br />

Administration and Development also announced government plans to establish<br />

a degree college for persons with disabilities. At the provincial level, the Punjab<br />

chief minister ordered the Punjab Education Endowment Fund to provide<br />

scholarships to special children, adding that vouchers should also be given to<br />

deserving disabled children for free education under the education voucher<br />

Scavenging for survival.<br />

191<br />

State of Human Rights in 2012

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