The Punjab cabinet, under the direction of chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, officially approved the first complete child protection policy in the province, marking an important stage in the protection of children’s rights.
Policy, developed by the child protection and protection office, aims to provide a structured and effective roadmap to prevent abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation. It was approved during a recent meeting of the cabinet chaired by the chief minister.
The president of the Child Protection Office, Sarah Ahmad, said that the policy reflects the strong commitment of the Punjab government to protect the rights of children and underlines the prioritization of the Minister of Childhood.
She noted that the work on the implementation framework began a year ago with the development of a case management system, while the initial policy project was submitted to the government two years ago via the original service.
UNICEF Pakistan has provided technical support in writing policy, guaranteeing alignment to international standards.
In the past, efforts to develop a child protection policy in Punjab failed due to political disinterest, lack of budgetary support and institutional challenges.
However, under the current administration, the initiative was of strategic importance and has now received approval at the office.
The social experts and defenders of the rights of the child praised the policy as a historical achievement. They believe that it will help not only to prevent crimes against children, but also to lay the foundations for a safer and more favorable environment throughout the province.
The Punjab government should soon deploy implementation plans at the district level and awareness campaigns to ensure effective application of politics.
