Child Protection and Social Protection

Child Protection and Welfare Bureau

The Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CP&WB) is an autonomous body established under the Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children’s Act 2004 with the objective of promoting and protecting the rights and welfare of children. It is under the administrative control of the Home Department. CP&WB provides care, rehabilitation, education and training to destitute and neglected children.

The CP&WB has established Child Protection Institutions in Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Multan, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan. It provides various services such as shelter, health care, counselling, education, vocational training and family tracing and reunification to support the children’s recovery and successful reintegration into society. The CP&WB has also set up an permanent and mobile Open Reception Centres (ORCs) at strategic locations that also serve as referral points for locating and providing information on lost, runaway or abandoned children. A Children’s Helpline 1121 has also been established to provide advice, assistance and coordination for the rescue and protection of children.

Punjab Police

The Punjab Police is the executive law enforcement agency of the Home Department. Its main functions are to maintain public safety, investigate crimes, prevent criminal activities and apprehend offenders involving crimes against children thoroughly, ensuring that offenders are apprehended and brought to justice. This includes cases of child abuse, neglect, sexual exploitation, and trafficking. Punjab Police is also involved in rescuing children who are victims of various forms of exploitation or abuse. They work in coordination with Child Protection and Welfare Bureau to ensure that rescued children are provided with appropriate care, support, and rehabilitation services.

Home Department

The Punjab Home Department is responsible for maintaining law and order, protecting life and property and administering the police. It also plays a role in protecting children from exploitation and abuse. It oversees the implementation of laws and policies relating to children in contact or in conflict with the law and ensures their fair treatment and protection of their rights throughout the criminal justice process. In 2019, Rules of Business of Home Department were amended and the following clauses were added: (46A) Formulation of child protection policy (46B) Training, sensitisation, advocacy and capacity building of stakeholders on child protection.

Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA)

The Punjab Social Protection Authority is an autonomous body established under the PSPAA, 2015.  The Authority is mandated to formulate a social protection policy and consolidate, coordinate and implement social protection initiatives in the areas of nutrition, education, health, social assistance, social inclusion and labour market regulations. The Authority has also launched the Punjab Ehsaas Programme, based on the federal Ehsaas Strategy, to provide protection to the socially and economically vulnerable groups in Punjab.

Department of Social Welfare & Bait-ul-Maal

The Department performs its functions in sub-divisions, including Social Welfare  and Bait-ul-Maal. The Social Welfare is primarily responsible for the welfare and social development of the people in the province. It provides welfare services to women, persons with different abilities (PWDs), children, the elderly, beggars and drug addicts, etc. The department runs a number of child care institutions including model children homes (orphanages), shelter homes for destitute girls (Kashana), Centre for mentally challenged children (Chaman) and home for persons with different-abilities (Nasheman). Punjab Bait-ul-Maal  focuses on various areas of assistance, including providing financial assistance to the needy and PWDs, supporting non-governmental organisations, providing marriage grants to deserving individuals, facilitating medical treatment for those who lack resources, and providing educational stipends to ensure access to education for the underprivileged.

Labour  and Human Resource Department

The Punjab Labour and Human Resource Department plays the leading role in the prevention and regulation of child labour in Punjab and is responsible for formulating and implementing labour-related policies, laws and regulations in the province. Its main role is to protect the rights and welfare of workers and to promote healthy labour management and labour relations, with emphasis on housing, health, safety and security of workers. It implements the government’s policies and programmes for the progressive elimination of child labour and coordinates the government’s efforts to combat child labour and bonded labour. The department monitors workplaces and conducts inspections to identify cases of child labour. The department also conducts surveys to collect data on child labour in the province and works to raise awareness on the issue.

Zakat and Ushr Department

The Zakat and Ushr Department plays a vital role in poverty reduction efforts by investing in the poor to support their subsistence and rehabilitation. Its core functions include planning and policy formulation to enhance the effectiveness of the zakat system in Punjab, preparing the annual zakat budget, disbursing zakat funds, maintaining accounts, organizing audits, processing cases for exemption from zakat deductions at the source, managing administrative matters related to staff, and establishing bodies such as the Provincial Zakat Council, District Zakat Committees, and Local Zakat Committees. Additionally, the department is responsible for enlisting Deeni Madaris (religious schools) and Vocational Training Institutes for zakat grants, ensuring that these institutions contribute effectively to poverty alleviation efforts in the province.

Local Government and Community Development Department

The Local Government Department in Punjab plays a crucial role in governing and administration of local government systems at the provincial level. It is responsible for overseeing and coordinating various functions related to local government, urban and rural development and service delivery to communities and is also responsible for registering all births, marriages and deaths in the province through the Union Councils.

Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Department

The Human Rights & Minorities Affairs Department in Punjab,is tasked with promoting and protecting human rights while upholding the rights of minority communities. This includes formulating policies, harmonising and monitoring of laws, legislation and practices with international human rights covenants and agreements, advocating for human rights and the rights of minorities, complaint handling, ensuring legal protection, raising awareness, establishing and managing the Punjab Treaty Implementing Cell.

Punjab Prisons

The Punjab Prisons primarily serve as institutions responsible for the custody, care, and rehabilitation of individuals who have been convicted or are awaiting trial for various criminal offenses confined in various central, district and special jails in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Punjab Prisons also have a responsibility towards juvenile offenders or children who are in conflict with the law. In cases involving minors, Punjab Prisons have separate facilities (borstal institutes) or special arrangements in jails to accommodate their unique needs and keep them separate from adult prisoners. 

Public Prosecution Department (PPD)

The Public Prosecution Department (PPD) was established in 2005 to structure the Punjab Criminal Prosecution Service (PCPS), which is responsible for administering and recruitment of prosecutors, officers and staff through BPS -16. The performance of the PCPS is an essential component of the criminal justice system, ensuring fair trials, bringing criminals to justice and strengthening the authority of the government. PPD comprises four attached departments: the Prosecutor General Punjab, which is responsible for effective prosecution in criminal courts; the Centre for Professional Development of Prosecutors, which provides training for efficient handling of criminal cases; the Punjab Criminal Prosecution Service Inspectorate, which conducts inspections focusing on compliance with laws, codes of conduct and prosecution standards; and the Punjab Legal Aid Agency, which provides legal aid to needy persons.

Federal Agencies with Provincial Jurisdiction | Programmes 

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• Zainab Alert, Response, and Recovery Agency (ZARRA)
• Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)
• Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)
• Legal Aid and Justice Authority (LAJA)
• National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA)
• Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal

Education

Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department

The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department in Punjab, Pakistan, serves as the central authority overseeing healthcare services delivery and infrastructure development across the province. It plays a pivotal role in ensuring the availability of essential medical services, vaccinations, maternal and child health services, and family planning at primary and secondary healthcare facilities. Additionally, the department formulates healthcare policies, regulates healthcare providers and facilities to maintain quality standards, and manages health information systems to facilitate evidence-based decision-making.

Free consultation, diagnostic facilities, and medicines are provided to patients, with a particular focus on the impoverished and marginalized segments of society. In addition to essential healthcare services, the department administers various programs such as the Hepatitis Control Program, AIDS Control Program, Expanded Program for Immunization (EPI), TB Control Program, Integrated Reproductive Maternal Newborn and Child Health (IRMNCH), Malaria Control Program, and Infection Control Program. These programs not only aim to prevent, treat, and control communicable diseases and epidemics but also provide vaccines through the EPI for children under 2 years and pregnant women, ensuring comprehensive healthcare coverage across the population of Punjab.

Multi-Sectoral

Planning and Development Board

The Planning & Development Board in Punjab plays a role in guiding and monitoring planning and development initiatives and is responsible for formulating development strategies, policies and plans in line with the government’s vision and goals. The department coordinates and monitors development projects, assesses their feasibility and ensures their effective implementation. It conducts research, data analysis and evaluation to make evidence-based decisions. The P&D Board manages various budgets and plans related to provincial development, including the annual development programme, provincial development budget, medium-term development framework, sectoral development plans, public sector development programmes, foreign aid and development assistance.

Bureau of Statistics (BOS)

The Bureau of Statistics (BOS) is an attached department of the Planning & Development Board, Goat. of Punjab. It is the hub for statistical data activity in the province and is responsible for the collection, processing and dissemination of statistical data through periodic publications and electronic media. Standardised by the National Statistical Council, the functions of BOS are to collect data at the provincial level, coordinate and support statistical activities throughout the province, collaborate with the federal statistical system and prepare and disseminate provincial indicators by collecting information from institutional sources and conducting new censuses and surveys.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department

The Law & Parliamentary Affairs Department has an important role in the province’s legal and legislative landscape. It provides legal support and expertise to the government, advises it on legal matters and assists in the formulation and drafting of laws. The department conducts government business in the Assembly. It also monitors and facilitates the business of private members in the Assembly. The department has a mandate to promote legislation for the public good, contributes to the administration of justice and protects and promotes the rights of citizens. The office of the Advocate General is a special institution and the Punjab Judicial Academy is an autonomous body under the administration of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department.

Information and Culture Department

The Punjab Information and Culture Department serves as the main source of government information and disseminates news and updates through various media channels. The department maintains relations with the media, facilitates press briefings and maintains public relations to promote transparency and accountability. It promotes and preserves Punjab’s cultural heritage through cultural festivals, exhibitions and support to artists and performers. The department also promotes the development of art and literature, manages archives and museums, supports the film and entertainment industry, conducts research and documentation and uses information technology for effective communication. The Department can play an important role by leveraging its media outreach to raise awareness about child rights and child protection. 

Federal Agency with Provincial Jurisdiction | Programmes 

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• Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS)

Oversight and Monitoring Agencies

Punjab Commission on the Status of Women

The Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW), established in 2014 under the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women Act, serves as a watchdog body ensuring that the laws, policies, and programs of the Punjab government promote women’s empowerment and socio-economic development while eliminating discrimination against women. PCSW has a wide-ranging mandate, encompassing the review and monitoring of government measures for gender equality, facilitation and monitoring of international obligations affecting women, and advising the government on the ratification of international instruments related to women’s rights. The Commission conducts research, gathers data, and interacts with civil society organizations and experts to develop policy recommendations, while also possessing powers to obtain information, enforce attendance, and intervene in places where women’s rights may be violated, including jails, shelters, and crisis centers.

Ombudsman Punjab

The Punjab Ombudsman receives and investigates complaints of injustice and maladministration, serves as a mediator between complainants and the authorities and strives for amicable settlement. The Ombudsman exercises oversight over government agencies, advocates for better government governance and raises public awareness of citizens’ rights.

Office of the Chief Provincial Commissioner for Children (OCPCC)

The Office of the Chief Provincial Commissioner for Children (OCPCC) works under the aegis of the Office of Ombudsman Punjab. The OCPCC has established a special redressal and response system for complaints by and about children against maladministration by government agencies, institutions or public bodies. It also advises the provincial government on systemic issues affecting children’s rights and undertakes research, advocacy and collaboration with various stakeholders.

Committees/Networks

Provincial Vigilance Committee and District Vigilance Committees (DVCs)

Under the Punjab Bonded Labour (Abolition) Act, 1992, the government is required to constitute the Provincial Vigilance Committee (PVC). The committee is mandated to review the implementation of the Act and the action plan for abolition of bonded or freed labour and rehabilitation of persons released from bonded labour and to monitor the working of the District Vigilance Committees. The Department has already notified District Vigilance Committees (DVCs) in all districts of Punjab. The DVCs help in the implementation of the Punjab BLSA, 1992 and support the rehabilitation of bonded labourers.

Provincial Committee on Child Labour

Under the Section 4 of the Punjab Restriction on Employment of Children Act, 2016, the Punjab Government has constituted a Provincial Committee on Child Labour to advise the government for appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures for the eradication of child labour. The Committee consists of a chairperson, and eight members representing the government, employers, workers and civil society.

Standing Committees for Government Departments

There are standing committees entrusted with important responsibilities related to government oversight, legislative scrutiny, accountability of government departments and public engagement. These committees, made up of members of the Provincial Assembly, play a central role in reviewing the performance and activities of the various government departments in the province. Some of the committees relevant to child labour and protection are the Standing Committee on Labour and Human Resource, the Standing Committee on Human Rights and Minorities Affairs, the Standing Committee on Home Affairs, the Standing Committee on School Education, the Standing Committee on Local Government and Community Development, etc.

Federal Agencies with Provincial Jurisdiction | Programmes 

Click on the agency for more information about their mandate and work.

• National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC)
• National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR)
• National Commission for the Status of Women (NCSW)
• Wafaqi Mohtasib