The Government's Policy and Practical Response to Contain the Spread of COVID-19 and Its Impact on Juveniles' Rights in Detention Centres in Sindh-Pakistan.

This article examines the impact of the Government of Sindh's COVID-19 policies and practices on the rights of juveniles in five detention centres in Sindh, Pakistan, using the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and Pakistan's Juvenile Justice System Act (JJSA) of 2018 as frameworks. It finds that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and their implementation largely neglected juveniles' rights to protection from abuse, play, health, education, and family contact, resulting in increased isolation, suspension of recreational activities, restricted visitations, and potential psychological harm. Despite existing legal provisions for child protection, the pandemic response lacked specific guidelines for health emergencies, and alternatives to detention were not sufficiently pursued, leading to stable or increased juvenile populations in custody. The study is based on qualitative interviews with senior prison officials and NGO representatives but does not include direct input from detained children due to access restrictions. Overall, the findings highlight systemic challenges in safeguarding detained children's rights during public health crises in Sindh's juvenile justice system.