Child protection policy has been approved by the Punjab Cabinet during their meeting to safeguard children’s rights and welfare. The meeting was chaired by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday, 3rd June, 2025
The CPWB (Child Protection and Welfare Bureau) developed the first-ever child protection policy under thetechnical assistance of UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) Pakistan to prevent child abuse, violence and exploitation of children all over Punjab. It aims to build a safe and supportive society for children.
The chairperson of the CPWB, Sarah Ahmed, stated that the approval of the policy reflected the government’s commitment to child protection. She briefed that the Bureau had been working for over a year on the implementation of the policy. They had submitted the draft two years ago, but due to several reasons, such as political indifference, lack of coordination and budget limitations, it got delayed.
Many children’s rights groups and civil society are praising the policy. Abiya Batool, a 16-year-old defender of Children right, praised the policy and highlighted the involvement of children in the process, saying, “we are primarily stakeholders. Our voices must be heard at every step.”
The Coordinator of the Child Rights Movement Punjab, Mudassar Ahmed, enlightened the need for rapid action for the implementation of policy. He suggested creating child protection committees to localize the policy at district and tehsil levels.
Moreover, the Convener of Children Advocacy Network Pakistan, Rasheeda Qureshi, recommended adding child protection policy into the annual development and operation budget of the public sector and persuading them to introduce “children protection Budgeting guidelines” for ensuring fair resource distribution.
Furthermore, Excutive director of Search for justice, Iftikhar Mubarak urged the need for committed funding in the upcoming budget and demanded cooperative work with clear responsibilities assigned to related departments.
The civil society demanded to ensure effective enforcement of child protection policy in our society through financial investments, inter-agency collaboration, political will and civil society engagement.
For a safe and supportive society for children, the government made its first step by accepting the first-ever child protection policy. Next, key challenges are still in line, including swift implementation of policy.
