By Mustafa Ali
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz launched Pakistan’s first virtual centre for child safety.Maryam Nawaz while chairing a meeting announced to establish Pakistan’s first Virtual Centre for Child Safety with regard to forced child labour under the auspices of Punjab Safe Cities Authority.A team of professional experts in the Virtual Centre for Child Safety is tasked to carry out search operation for the missing persons, getting in touch with heirs and verifying their credentials.The Virtual Centre for Child Safety has proved to be an effective in bringing back home not only missing children but also frail elderly people. In case of disappearance of a child or an elderly person of loved ones, there is an easy-to-use contact system at 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.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 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’ innovative initiative to establish Virtual Center for Child Safety.The chief minister highlighted “Children are my red line, I can understand the profound grief of parents in case of their disappearance. Whether children belong to Punjab or any other province, they are all dear to us.” She maintained, “In case of disappearance, we are determined to fulfill our 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 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 utilise all available state resources for the safe return of missing children.”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 chief minister 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 highlighted, “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 is a big question mark for every civilized society.”She outlined, “If the childhood of an innocent child is not protected, the society will be deprived of useful citizens in times to come. I deem child labour not just a problem as it will put at stake bright future of our coming generations. Effective steps are being taken to eliminate child labour.”
