LAHORE: The Punjab government is set to become the first in the region to launch a groundbreaking child protection policy, spearheaded by Sarah Ahmad, Chairperson of the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) and Member of the Punjab Provincial Assembly (MPA). Ahmad initiated the policy through the home department two years ago, and it has now been approved by the cabinet committee on legislative business, chaired by Provincial Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman. This committee also includes Provincial Ministers Uzma Bukhari, Sohaib Bhurt, and Zeeshan Rafiq.
Sarah Ahmad, along with Special Secretary Home Department Fazal Ur Rehman, provided a detailed briefing to the committee about the policy. The Punjab Child Protection Policy, now approved in a historic move, sets a comprehensive framework aimed at safeguarding children’s rights and protecting them from abuse, violence, exploitation, and neglect. This makes Punjab the first and only province in Pakistan to have such a policy, addressing a critical gap in child protection legislation.
Chairperson Sarah Ahmad expressed her gratitude for the support from the Chief Minister of Punjab, emphasizing that the policy’s approval is a significant milestone in the province’s child protection efforts. She highlighted that the policy will create a unified platform for all relevant departments, thereby improving the overall efficacy of child protection measures in Punjab.
The policy was developed by the CPWB with technical assistance from UNICEF Pakistan, responding to the long-standing need for a formal child protection policy in the province.
