- Pakistan’s first Virtual Centre for Child Safety set up to eliminate forced child labour under the auspices of PSCA
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has declared “protection and welfare of children” as her red line, saying she can understand the profound grief of parents in case of their disappearance.
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz expressed while commenting on Pakistan’s first Virtual Centre for Child Safety (VCCS) established to eliminate forced child labour under the auspices of the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA). A team of professional experts in the Virtual Centre for Child Safety is tasked to carry out search operations for the missing persons, getting in touch with the heirs and verifying their credentials.
“Whether children belong to Punjab or any other province, they are all dear to us,” the chief minister maintained, adding the Punjab government is determined to fulfill its responsibility of bringing every child home safe and sound. “Every citizen of the country can benefit from Pakistan’s first Virtual Centre for Child Safety,” she declared.
The Virtual Centre for Child Safety has proven to be an effective tool in bringing back home not only missing children but also frail elderly persons. In case of the disappearance of a child or an elderly person, there is an easy-to-use contact system at the Virtual Centre for Child Safety. It is possible to contact the Virtual Centre for Child Safety immediately by calling the emergency helpline 15 and pressing the button number 3.
CM Maryam outlined, “Punjab’s first Virtual Center for Child Safety is a successful initiative of promoting humanitarianism, national solidarity, digital technology, and good governance. We are ready to utilize all available state resources for the safe return of missing children.”
Citizens across Punjab can contact the Virtual Centre for Child Safety through the Safety App. For the first time, a special helpline 0309-0000015 has also been activated for missing children and citizens of other provinces as well. There is also a facility to report missing children by making a call, sending a WhatsApp message or text message on a special helpline.
More than 59,635 people have contacted the Virtual Safety Centre to complain about missing persons. 53,542 cases of missing persons have been successfully resolved through Punjab’s first Virtual Centre for Child Safety. More than 26,000 people have reached their homes after going missing on account of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s innovative initiative to establish Virtual Center for Child Safety.
CM’s Message on World Day Against Child Labour
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said that Punjab has become the first province to implement child protection policy for the safe future of children. She highlighted, “Punjab is ensuring the protection of children’s rights by establishing the first Virtual Child Safety Station.”
The Punjab CM, in her message on the World Day Against Child Labour said, “Child labour is absolutely intolerable; children are my red line. In today’s era, incidents of child labour are a colossal tragedy for humanity. Forced child labour is a moment of grave concern for the conscious citizens of the society.”
She emphasized, “Children should have pens, books, and laptops in their hands instead of tools and bricks. Children who are forced to bear the burden of forced child labour at a tender age instead of holding a pen in their hands are a big question mark for every civilized society.”
CM Pays Tribute to Martyred Pindi Constable
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz paid tribute to Constable Sajjad Hussain, who embraced martyrdom in a firing incident by the dacoits in Rawalpindi. She expressed heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the bereaved family.
