12 Child Protection Units on the cards across Punjab

New CPUs will operate as referral units for the seven bureaus of the province

LAHORE: In order to expand the reach of the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau [CPWB] in the province, 12 Child Protection Units [CPUs] have been proposed to in the next budget of 2017-18, The Express Tribune has learnt.

It has been learnt that these CPUs will operate as referrals units for the seven bureaus of the province. These units are being proposed at Kasur, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Chakwal, Jehlum, Vehari, Mianwali, Bahkar, Pakpattan, Rajanpur, Laiyah and Jhang with an estimated cost of Rs232 million.



With a capacity to accommodate 15 to 20 children, these CPUs will send kids, depending on the nature of the case, to a bureau office of the division.



The CPWB is also expecting completion of its eighth bureau office in Rahim Yar Khan in a month’s time, whereas under construction bureau offices of Sahiwal and Sargodha would also be brought in the next budget as an ongoing scheme.

The Child Protection and Welfare Bureau claimed to have rescued 7,087 children in 2016 of which more than 6,000 children were reunited with their families, 65 cases were of torture and abuse of which 27 FIR were registered on the very complaint of the bureau whereas in 2017 around 2,925 children were rescued to this date of which more than 12 cases were of torture. As many as 2,700 children have been reunited with their families. Around 805 children are living in different bureau offices of the CPWB.



According to Media Officer Waseem Abbass, beggary stands amongst the major challenges faced by the bureau.

“Just in the past week, two grand operations were conducted along with district administrations and police, rescuing 100 children from streets of the province,” he said. “These cases multiply during the month of Ramazan when children are brought to big cities for beggary.” He was of the view that usually parents were behind this act.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2017.