Punjab still devoid of updated child protection policy

Perhaps the answer to Punjab’s persistent child begging problem lies in the province’s lack of a child protection policy which activists lament the province is in dire need of. 

Despite claims by the Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau of conducting routine operations against child beggars in Lahore; the children roam without fear of a brush up with the law in busy areas of the city including Iqbal Town, Karim Block, Main Market, Johar Town, Barkat Market, and Lahore Railway Station.

As per data obtained from the bureau, a copy of which is available with the Express Tribune, a total of 7,749 children were picked up in the past year - out of which nearly 75% were beggars. The remaining 25% consists of children who deliberately run away from home and children who have no clue about their parents or home.

At present, Child Protection Bureaus have been set up in 9 cities of Punjab including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Sahiwal. The Lahore Bureau alone can accommodate up to 500 children, while the bureaus across the province can accommodate a total of 2,000 children.

There are currently about 1,200 children in these bureaus. However, apart from those whose parents could not be traced, nearly all the children were let go and most are back to the only lifestyle they know - begging. Activists feel that children are let go because not only is the bureau toothless; there is no good law to actually protect the children in custody of the bureau.

“The powers given to the Child Protection Bureau in existing law, back in 2004, are insufficient. For instance, if a child is sexually or physically abused, the bureau cannot take action because it is a police case,” lamented child rights activist, Iftikhar Mubarak. The activist, based in Lahore, whilst criticizing the government, said that if the government was indeed serious about putting an end to issues like child begging, it would make a comprehensive policy to protect the province’s children.

Another activist, Rashida Qureshi, while talking to the Express Tribune, said that it was unfortunate that the country’s most populous province did not have a child protection policy which resulted in child abuse growing unhindered. “In most cases, the perpetrators of child abuse go unpunished because crimes like forced child labor and begging are all bailable and reconcilable crimes. Often the perpetrators get out of jail in less than 24 hours.”

When inquired about the lack of a child protection policy, Sara Ahmed, Chairperson of the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, who is also the Assistant to the Chief Minister of Punjab, said that there were some flaws in the policy which was formulated in the past. “However, we have now re-drafted it and in the next few days the draft will be finalized in consultation with the stakeholders working for protection of children's rights and then the draft will be sent to the provincial cabinet for approval,” Ahmed reassured.

When asked if how the bureau functions was set to change in the near future, Ahmed highlighted that the Child Protection Bureau had already taken several important steps regarding the welfare of children.

“Amongst these measures is an awareness campaign for prevention of sexual and physical violence against children and an anti-begging campaign since August last year. We have also trained police officers in major districts of Punjab on the provisions under which to file a case in incidents of sexual and physical abuse of children and how to register a case,” Ahmed informed while talking to The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13^th, 2022.