LAHORE – A meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was recently informed that as many as 767 children had been kidnapped from different cities of the province in the first seven months of the current year.
According to a statement, the officials of Punjab Child Protection Bureau briefed the meeting about special measures being taken to ensure the earliest-possible recovery of the missing kids.
“Out of 767 children, as many as 721 were successfully recovered and joined with their families,” they told the meeting.
On the occasion, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif also directed the relevant authorities to set up a special task force with regard to the missing children, further ordering that a report should be submitted to him to this effect on regular basis.
He said that strict surveillance of areas with a highest rates of missing children should be ensured and the best police officers and staff should be posted in such areas. Additional police forces should be deputed at bus stands, railway stations, parks and other places of rush, he added.
The meeting also reviewed action against persons involved in operating a private torture cell in Rahim Yar Khan and the Chief Minister ordered immediate suspension of DSP, SHO and the entire staff of Police Station (PS) B-Division Rahim Yar Khan.
The Chief Minister was told that eight accused operating a private torture cell had been nabbed while raids were being conducted for apprehension of absconders.
Sharif said that the system should immediately come into action over incidents of heinous nature and warned that police officer concerned would be held responsible if any such incident took place in future.
