LAHORE:Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) Chairperson Sarah Ahmad said in a statement here on Thursday that in the year 2023, 10,140 children were rescued across Punjab.
In Lahore alone, 2,962 children were rescued last year, 1,295 in Gujranwala, 1,345 in Faisalabad, 1,219 in Rawalpindi, 890 in Multan, 798 in Sahiwal, 1,023 in Sialkot, 390 in Bahawalpur, and 218 in Rahim Yar Khan she said and added that 8,892 children were handed over to their parents during this period.
She said the Child Protection Bureau reunited over 600 missing children with their parents after finding them out. Also, during the previous year, the bureau took custody of more than 200 children who were victims of violence and abuse. Chairperson Sarah Ahmad also mentioned that a total of 3,654 calls were received on Child Help Line 1121, resulting in the retrieval of 1,035 children.
The CPWB chairperson highlighted the inauguration of Child Protection Units in Kasur and Rajanpur in 2023. She expressed satisfaction with the im
proved overall performance of the Child Protection Bureau during the past year.