On the direction of IG Punjab, Punjab Police is actively working to help homeless and helpless children across the province

Lahore, March 01, 2023 (PPI-OT): Punjab Police is taking special measures to support the destitute and homeless children who are suffering from social inattention. In this regard, under the direction of IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar, Punjab Police has signed f MoUs with four government and private institutions working for the rights and protection of children. These institutions include Social Welfare Department, Child Protection Bureau, Search for Justice and Care Foundation and Child Protection Bureau. IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar on behalf of Punjab Police signed the MoUs in the ceremony held at the Central Police Office while heads and executives of other institutions signed the MoUs.

Speaking at the event, Inspector General Police Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar has said that Punjab Police has started a new initiative on the platform of “Protection” centers to provide support to destitute and homeless children who are suffering from social neglect across the province. According to which the Punjab Police will help the homeless children living on the streets and roads who are deprived of the kindness of their parents and the blessing of home and will bring these homeless children to the public and private institutions that will protect them along with provision of basic rights of the society in order to ensure great goal of making them productive and useful citizens. IG Punjab said that children suffering from social inattention become victims of begging, petty crimes as well as drug addiction, which is a very painful issue, so the Punjab police consider it their national, religious and moral duty to help these helpless children and those involved in exploitation of innocent children will be crushed.

Dr. Usman Anwar said that all the police stations of the province will be connected with the public and private institutions active for the protection of children through an integrated system and all the RPOs and DPOs ensure all possible cooperation with the relevant institutions. IG Punjab said that the rehabilitation of destitute and homeless children who suffer from various social evils including begging is the need of the hour and all the institutions including the police should work together for this noble cause. IG Punjab expressed these views today while talking to the participants of the special program organized to help destitute children at the Central Police Office.

In the ceremony, ASP Sidra Khan gave a presentation and briefing about this special program of Punjab Police and said that under this program, the helpless children who beg will be brought to the schools of Care Foundation. Similarly, the orphan girls living on the streets will stay in the SOS Village. The children deprived of the blessing of their parents will be referred to the Child Protection Bureau whereas the Punjab Police will take steps in collaboration with Search for Justice to prevent crimes related to children and provide justice to them.

Iftikhar Mubarak from Search for Justice expressed his views and said that it is a good initiative of IG Punjab to bring the institutions working for the protection of helpless children into a network, which will make it possible to end the problems of these children. Director SOS Almas Butt said that coordinated system and collective efforts at the departmental level for the rehabilitation of street children will lead to securing their future. Chairperson Sara Ahmed said that under the MoU, Child Protection Bureau and Punjab Police will take mutual measures for protection of children and joint operations will be conducted for children who are victims of begging, abuse and exploitation.

Officials of Social and Welfare Department, CARE Foundation, Planning and Development and Dastak Trust also participated in the ceremony and presented their suggestions to secure the future of street children. In their address, the speakers said that it is not possible to remove the helpless children trapped in the mire of drugs, abuse and social neglect without the support of the police and this initiative of the Punjab Police will help in securing the future of the nation. DIG Headquarters, Humayun Bashir Tarar, DIG IT, Ahsan Younis, DIG Establishment, Dr. Inam Waheed and AIG Admin and Security, Ammara Athar, and other officers were also present in the ceremony.

For more information, contact:

Punjab Police

Punjab Police Computer Bureau,

5th Floor, Central Police Office (CPO),

Punjab, Lahore

Tel: +92-42-99213019, +92-42-99213013

Fax: +92-42-99213012

Email: sapcb@punjabpolice.gov.pk

Website: www.punjabpolice.gov.pk