SAHIWAL: As the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau is set to produce 18 children recovered from an orphanage in Chichawatni city at a local court on Monday (29 Sep), certain questions remain unanswered regarding their origin and circumstances as 17 of them belong to Balochistan.
They are under 8-10 age bracket. An illegal facility housing the children under the title of Ahmed Welfare Foundation has sparked serious concerns about the children’s welfare, the source of its funding, and the broader implications regarding Baloch children in Punjab.
It remains unclear how long these children have been housed at the center, and under what conditions.
Reports suggest they endured severe mistreatment at the hands of caretakers.
Equally troubling is the silence of orphanage financiers, which operates in the heart of Chichawatni city without legal registration or oversight.
This incident has raised a broader question – are there other such facilities across Punjab where Baloch children are being kept under questionable arrangements? So far, local law enforcement and administrative agencies have failed to provide any concrete answers.
Chichawatni-based lawyer Rana Sajid has filed an application in the court of Additional Sessions Judge Rana Tariq, seeking custody of the children.
This followed the arrival of some other individuals claiming to be family members of the minors.
The court has directed Muhammad Adnan, District Officer of CPWB, to present the children in the court along with their medical reports on Monday at 2pm.
Notably, the medical board is scheduled to examine the children the same day under the supervision of MS Dr Yadullah of the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital.
Deputy Commissioner Shahid Mahmood has also taken notice of the situation and received a briefing from the district head of the CPWB.
Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2025
