25/12/2025
On Wednesday at 5:30 pm, while returning home from the AC office, we met a 10-12 year old boy who had escaped from a house where he was working as a child laborer. He was from Tandlianwala and was crying, asking us to take him home. We immediately went to Batala Colony police station and reported the case. The police connected us to the Deputy Director of the Child Protection Bureau, who asked us to wait.
We took the child home, fed him, and bought him some snacks to calm him down. He seemed happy after that. Later, a policeman called, saying the Child Protection Bureau had arrived to take the child. Ms. Rubina Iqbal promised our NGO could meet the child tomorrow, and Ms. Amina Alam, Deputy Director of the Social Welfare Department, offered her support.
We handed the child over to the Child Protection Bureau reluctantly. The next day, when we called Ms. Rubina, she refused to let us meet the child, saying they'd take custody and file an FIR against the parents and employer. Ms. Amina was uncooperative and hung up.
We approached the AC City cabin, who intervened and asked Ms. Rubina for the child's whereabouts. She said the child was in the Court of Session Judge Iqbal Haral. We went there and saw many children rescued by the Child Protection Bureau, who were attending school in the morning and working at night. The department's lawyer was pushing for custody and had filed FIRs against them.
The Session Judge was understanding. We requested him to drop the FIRs and return the children to their families, as they're their breadwinners and suggested to arrest middle man .The Judge ordered the arrest of the middleman who exploited these children and canceled the FIRs against the families, remarking that these children are hardworking.
My question is that if in situations of extreme poverty, why does the Child Protection Department detain children who are working to pay their school fees, without conducting a thorough inquiry or considering alternative solutions?"
At the end Hope source welfare foundation thanks to AC CITY FSD and Session judge iqbal for their best cooperation.
Soon we will share video of that child.
