The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday sought recommendations from the Punjab government, civil society and others to curb the menace of child abduction.
A bench comprising of Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and Justice Umar Ata Bandial passed the order while hearing a suo motu notice against increasing incidents of child abduction in Punjab, at the court’s Lahore Registry.
During the hearing, a report was submitted on behalf of the Child Protection Bureau wherein recommendations were forwarded to check kidnapping incidents. The bench was also briefed about the facilities being provided to children at the bureau through the report.
The bench appreciated the report and made the report part of the record.
Asma Jehnagir submitted that it had been proved that the sale of vital body organs was not the cause of the rising abduction cases. Instead, she attributed the kidnappings to gangs and reiterated the need to catch the culprits.
The bench acknowledged reports that some parents had sold their children. The bench added that such incidents were taking place in less developed areas due to poverty. Education and awareness were required to end this attitude, it added.
The bench, adjourning the hearing, sought recommendations.
Meanwhile, the bench also ordered police authorities concerned to complete investigations of five child kidnapping cases and to try to recover the children in one month.
The Supreme Court took suo motu notice after the media reported that 600 children were kidnapped from Punjab in July 2016.
