SAHIWAL: Muhammad Tariq, Additional District and Sessions Judge, Child Protection Court, Sahiwal, formally handed over the custody of the 18 minor children, 17 of them from Balochistan, who were recovered from an orphanage to the district office of the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) here on September 24.
The minor children, all under the age of 10, were recovered from an orphanage operated by an unregistered organisation — Ahmed Welfare Foundation — in Chichawatni city.
CPWB District Officer Muhammad Adnan told Dawn that the children have been admitted to the bureau’s facility located near the Sahiwal High Security Prison.
“It is now our responsibility to ensure their safety, nourishment, and education,” he said, adding that they will also attend the bureau’s in-house school until they turn 18.
Bureau DG says parents of the children are being traced with Balochistan government’s help
Speaking to Dawn by phone, CPWB Lahore Director General Rao Nadeem said that all children will undergo medical examination to assess their health before being enrolled for regular schooling.
He added that the CPWB is coordinating with the Balochistan government to trace the children’s families.
“If their parents wish to reclaim their custody, the bureau will facilitate their reunification with their families — but only with the court’s permission,” he said.
On the other hand, Kubaib Ahmed, Assistant Director, Social Welfare Department, in Chichawatni, confirmed to Dawn that Ahmed Welfare Foundation is not registered with the department.
“The organisation has applied for registration through our web portal on Sept 11, 2025, via Saqib Qayyum, but the process is incomplete,” he says.
He said that following the incident involving the torture of a minor boy by a teacher at the orphanage, the department issued a formal notice under the Social Volunteering Agencies Ordinance, 1961, instructing the organisation to cease all its operations and close down the orphanage.
As per sources, the orphanage is managed by a group of donors belonging to Chichawatni, including Saram Dastigir, Ahmed Saleem, Qamar-uz-Zaman, Najma Yaqoob, and Saqib Qayyum.
Saram Dastigir, told Dawn by phone that the organisation had all the necessary documents, including police verification certificates form different district of Balochsitan before admitting these children to the orphanage. He said the orphanage was previously operated by an Islamabad-based entity, Muhammadi Foundation, and was financially supported by local donors.
He, however, claimed that, due to reports of financial corruption by the previous management, Ahmed Welfare Foundation assumed control of the facility in 2023.
The sources say that the members of the orphanage’s management were present in the court during the formal handover of the children to the CPWB.
The children from Balochistan, who were handed over to the CPWB, are: Muhammad Ali Hamza (6), Riaz (6), Rizwan (8), Liaqat (6), Raheel (6), Muhammad Umer (9), Muhammad Hussain (8), Shahmoor (9), Israr (9), Abdul Rouf (11), Kamal (8), Imam Hussain (5), Zainul Abideen (6), Abdullah (9), Fida Hussain (5) Farooq (6) and Ali Hasan (5), while a student, Ali Hasan, son of Haji Yaqoob, belongs to Chichawatni.
The issue surfaced when a video clip showing the torture of a minor students by a teach at the orphanage went viral on social media.
Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2025
