"Children should not be in jail. I want to see a vacant Youth Offenders Industrial Sc­­hool, " said Shehzad Roy

Karachi, 21 November 2017 - The Launch Ceremony took place at the Juvenile Jail Karachi and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) presented and introduced singer Shehzad Roy in a gathering of young inmate, senior officials from Ministry of Narcotics Control, Foreign Affairs, Health, Police, Judiciary, Prison, Home Department Sindh and Diplomatic community, to the media in his new role assigned to him as Goodwill Ambassador for UNODC Pakistan.

"While we were discussing to hold the event with Mr. Roy", "Shehzad said that "he would like to have the event with the inmates of Youth Offenders Industrial School at Central Prison Karachi rather than having it in any hotel" said Ceser Guedes, Representative UNODC. He also said, "I should be performing between them rather than performing for them somewhere else".  "This was a tall order from him, and a new dimension which he brought to our work, we fulfilled it with the kind support of Mr. Mangan, IG Prison Sindh and the Home department Sindh, and we are excited to have him on board", said Cesar Guedes.

Mr. Roy shall be promoting UNODC's work in the areas of Criminal Justice and Drug Demand Reduction emphasizing positive values during his visits to schools, colleges, prisons, and rehabilitation centres. He will also raise awareness of the work UNODC is doing in Pakistan and highlight the need to curb drug abuse and associated crimes in the margins of UNODC's mandate'.  He is expected to take part in a wide range of activities, such as the marking of World Drug Day, Anti-Corruption Day, Anti Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling, supporting prison and police reforms, raising awareness and advocating gender-responsive services for drug abusers, and promoting knowledge of drug-related and HIV/AIDS issues.

"Children should not be in jail. I want to see a vacant Youth Offenders Industrial School," said Shehzad Roy, the newly appointed United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Goodwill Ambassador, at the Launch Ceremony at the Youth Offenders School (YOIS), Central Prison Karachi.

"I am not going to be a symbolic ambassador," added the popular singer. "I want to start bringing change from the ground up," he said during the celebration to mark his appointment at the juvenile facility. 

Mr Roy paid bail for six of them, who walked out of jail with him after the event. Their families were also there to take them home. "It is disheartening to see children imprisoned for petty crimes or drugs ruining the lives of young people. If I can help one child out of prison or persuade just one boy or girl to turn away from drugs, I will feel proud that I have made a difference," he said on accepting his two-year assignment as national goodwill ambassador for UNODC Pakistan. 

He also invited the bailed out children on stage to sing with him on one of his favorite song, he was met with an ecstatic response from the young audience, who were dancing on the rhythms of his songs. 

The event also saw the launch of Mr Roy's video song 'Aik baar zulm kay khilaf niklo ge tau jano ge ke tum akaile nahin.'

 

 

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