The Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed the home secretary, Sindh IG and Karachi police chief to submit a compliance report on its order that directed the police officers to reunite 16 runaway children with their families.
A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar had taken up a petition seeking court directives for the Sindh police to treat the missing children cases as cognizable offence and registering FIRs in this regard.
The petition was instituted by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Roshni Research and Development Welfare, stating that cases of missing children were not properly investigated as a result many children lost their lives.
Earlier on May 28 last year, the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) had addressed a letter to the SHC chief justice requesting him to issue direction to the provincial government to help tracing out the families of 16 missing children who were rescued by Child Protection Bureau, Lahore.
The court had directed the police officials to make efforts so that the children may unite with their families within a week. The Sindh Social Welfare Department was also directed to provide assistance in this regard. On Tuesday, the judges were taken by surprise when the police officials told them that none of them had any inkling about court’s order regarding reunion of the children. Therefore, it directed the Sindh IG, AIG and home secretary to look into the matter and submit a compliance report by February 17.