Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09LAHORE195
2009-10-14 05:34:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Lahore
Cable title:
UNICEF SUSPENDS SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN TRAFFICKED BETWEEN
how-toVZCZCXRO9300 OO RUEHDE RUEHLH RUEHPW DE RUEHLH #0195/01 2870534 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 140534Z OCT 09 FM AMCONSUL LAHORE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4187 INFO RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD IMMEDIATE 4888 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL IMMEDIATE 0497 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0200 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0877 RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 2154 RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 1834 RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 1121 RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI PRIORITY 0019 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 5346
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAHORE 000195
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI PK
SUBJECT: UNICEF SUSPENDS SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN TRAFFICKED BETWEEN
PUNJAB AND UAE
REF: LAHORE 122
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAHORE 000195
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI PK
SUBJECT: UNICEF SUSPENDS SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN TRAFFICKED BETWEEN
PUNJAB AND UAE
REF: LAHORE 122
1. (SBU) Summary. UNICEF temporarily suspended programs aimed
at rehabilitating children trafficked to the United Arab
Emirates as camel jockeys, pending the resolution of a partisan
squabble that has essentially closed a district office of the
Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, UNICEF's governmental
counterpart. UNICEF plans to reinstate the program with a
bureau of the Social Welfare Department as soon as it can. End
Summary.
--------------
Background: Worthy Program for Very Vulnerable Children
--------------
2. (SBU) Since 2005, the governments of Pakistan and the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) have cooperated with the United Nations
Children's Education Fund (UNICEF) to support Pakistani children
who have returned home after being trafficked as camel jockeys
to the UAE, reftel. Children as young as three years old are
trafficked to work, some returning to Pakistan only several
years later. The program focuses on repatriation,
reunification, rehabilitation through education and coordination
with law enforcement officials to prevent future trafficking.
The program provides for, among other things, a monthly stipend
of 600 Pakistani Rupees (approximately USD 7.00) to families
whose returned children attend school.
--------------
Puzzling Suspension
--------------
3. On September 2 Muhammad Farhan Aamir, District Officer of the
Child Protection & Welfare Bureau (CPWB) in Punjab Province's
southernmost district, Rahim Yar Khan, told Poloff the
provincial government had closed programs to rehabilitate camel
jockeys. Shamshad Qureshi, UNICEF Child Protection Specialist,
confirmed UNICEF decided to temporarily stop the program because
the CPWB could not effectively perform rehabilitation activities
in the field and disperse funds to the children. Mujahid Zahoor,
UNICEF Child Protection Officer, reiterated that UNICEF closely
monitored the program and reluctantly decided to suspend it only
after attempting to resolve the issues with the CPWB since
January. UNICEF will select a new partner within the Social
Welfare Department to continue the program. The only change
would be the direct management of the program; the goals and
implementation would remain intact.
4. (SBU) Qureshi said UNICEF's relationship with the CPWB had
fallen victim to a political battle between Pakistan Muslim
League (PML) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). UNICEF
realized in January that nobody at the CPWB was returning phone
calls or otherwise engaging with UNICEF. On investigation, it
discovered the Home Secretary, a PML-N member, had prohibited
CPWB interaction with international organizations. It appeared
that he did this because the CPWB was headed by PML member Dr.
Faiza Ashgar, and preventing the bureau from functioning
effectively would give the Home Secretary a pretext to replace
her.
--------------
Ducking Politics, Finding a Way Forward
--------------
5. (SBU) Qureshi predicted the CPWB would be relocated to the
Social Welfare Department. If that happened, UNICEF would renew
its relationship with the CPWB, which had the capacity and
knowledge to oversee the program if freed from political
constraints. Poloff had tried repeatedly since May to meet with
Dr. Ashgar or CPWB Program Directors. The Home Secretary
initially refused to make an exception to the "no
internationals" rule for Post, but finally relented. Dr. Ashgar
confirmed on October 7 that the distribution of monthly grants
will continue under the Social Welfare Department. She foresees
the Home Department will transfer the program by mid-October,
and the Social Welfare Department will resume distributions by
the end of October. She explained that, though the current
PML-N government continues to provide a budget for the CPWB, she
has been unable to expand her
LAHORE 00000195 002 OF 002
programs or fill vacant positions. The current PML-N government
used the excuse that the Home Department did not have proper
documentation to support her role as Chairperson of the CPWB and
was using this to stall CPWB's work.
6. (SBU) Comment. Post agrees with UNICEF officials' theory
that the CPWB has fallen victim to a struggle for power between
PML and PML-N. PML-N, the party of Chief Minister Shahbaz
Sharif, just initiated a party reorganization, and may indeed be
attempting to put its own party members into positions with
control over resources. As the rehabilitation program is funded
by UAE and overseen by UNICEF, we do expect it to continue under
a new provincial partner once the political dust settles. End
Comment.
CONROY
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI PK
SUBJECT: UNICEF SUSPENDS SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN TRAFFICKED BETWEEN
PUNJAB AND UAE
REF: LAHORE 122
1. (SBU) Summary. UNICEF temporarily suspended programs aimed
at rehabilitating children trafficked to the United Arab
Emirates as camel jockeys, pending the resolution of a partisan
squabble that has essentially closed a district office of the
Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, UNICEF's governmental
counterpart. UNICEF plans to reinstate the program with a
bureau of the Social Welfare Department as soon as it can. End
Summary.
--------------
Background: Worthy Program for Very Vulnerable Children
--------------
2. (SBU) Since 2005, the governments of Pakistan and the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) have cooperated with the United Nations
Children's Education Fund (UNICEF) to support Pakistani children
who have returned home after being trafficked as camel jockeys
to the UAE, reftel. Children as young as three years old are
trafficked to work, some returning to Pakistan only several
years later. The program focuses on repatriation,
reunification, rehabilitation through education and coordination
with law enforcement officials to prevent future trafficking.
The program provides for, among other things, a monthly stipend
of 600 Pakistani Rupees (approximately USD 7.00) to families
whose returned children attend school.
--------------
Puzzling Suspension
--------------
3. On September 2 Muhammad Farhan Aamir, District Officer of the
Child Protection & Welfare Bureau (CPWB) in Punjab Province's
southernmost district, Rahim Yar Khan, told Poloff the
provincial government had closed programs to rehabilitate camel
jockeys. Shamshad Qureshi, UNICEF Child Protection Specialist,
confirmed UNICEF decided to temporarily stop the program because
the CPWB could not effectively perform rehabilitation activities
in the field and disperse funds to the children. Mujahid Zahoor,
UNICEF Child Protection Officer, reiterated that UNICEF closely
monitored the program and reluctantly decided to suspend it only
after attempting to resolve the issues with the CPWB since
January. UNICEF will select a new partner within the Social
Welfare Department to continue the program. The only change
would be the direct management of the program; the goals and
implementation would remain intact.
4. (SBU) Qureshi said UNICEF's relationship with the CPWB had
fallen victim to a political battle between Pakistan Muslim
League (PML) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). UNICEF
realized in January that nobody at the CPWB was returning phone
calls or otherwise engaging with UNICEF. On investigation, it
discovered the Home Secretary, a PML-N member, had prohibited
CPWB interaction with international organizations. It appeared
that he did this because the CPWB was headed by PML member Dr.
Faiza Ashgar, and preventing the bureau from functioning
effectively would give the Home Secretary a pretext to replace
her.
--------------
Ducking Politics, Finding a Way Forward
--------------
5. (SBU) Qureshi predicted the CPWB would be relocated to the
Social Welfare Department. If that happened, UNICEF would renew
its relationship with the CPWB, which had the capacity and
knowledge to oversee the program if freed from political
constraints. Poloff had tried repeatedly since May to meet with
Dr. Ashgar or CPWB Program Directors. The Home Secretary
initially refused to make an exception to the "no
internationals" rule for Post, but finally relented. Dr. Ashgar
confirmed on October 7 that the distribution of monthly grants
will continue under the Social Welfare Department. She foresees
the Home Department will transfer the program by mid-October,
and the Social Welfare Department will resume distributions by
the end of October. She explained that, though the current
PML-N government continues to provide a budget for the CPWB, she
has been unable to expand her
LAHORE 00000195 002 OF 002
programs or fill vacant positions. The current PML-N government
used the excuse that the Home Department did not have proper
documentation to support her role as Chairperson of the CPWB and
was using this to stall CPWB's work.
6. (SBU) Comment. Post agrees with UNICEF officials' theory
that the CPWB has fallen victim to a struggle for power between
PML and PML-N. PML-N, the party of Chief Minister Shahbaz
Sharif, just initiated a party reorganization, and may indeed be
attempting to put its own party members into positions with
control over resources. As the rehabilitation program is funded
by UAE and overseen by UNICEF, we do expect it to continue under
a new provincial partner once the political dust settles. End
Comment.
CONROY