Slug: cpwb-takes-16-children-protective-custody-multan
Category: National News
Focus keyphrase: Child Protection Bureau
SEO title: Child Protection Bureau Takes 16 Multan Children Into Care
Meta description: Punjab’s Child Protection and Welfare Bureau took 16 children from a Multan orphanage into protective custody after the Waseem Abbas incident.
Tags: Child Protection Bureau, Multan, Waseem Abbas, Sarah Ahmed, orphanage, child welfare, Punjab
Original element: our own data point — Feature Pakistan has covered the Waseem Abbas case from the start, including the HRCP’s call for an independent probe and the prime suspect’s death in a CCD encounter, giving readers the full background below.
Child Protection Bureau Takes 16 Children Into Custody After Multan Incident
LAHORE: Punjab’s Child Protection Bureau (CPWB) on Wednesday took 16 minor children living at an orphanage in Multan into protective custody and shifted them to the bureau’s own centre in the city.
A bureau team visited the orphanage on the directives of CPWB Chairperson Sarah Ahmed and transferred the children to ensure their safety and proper care, The Express Tribune reported.
The action follows the death of 15-year-old Waseem Abbas, an orphan who was allegedly run over by his employer in Multan after a workplace dispute. The case has raised serious questions about how orphanages in the province place children in work.
Child Protection Bureau rejects orphanage registration
The bureau said the orphanage’s application for registration with the CPWB had been rejected. The facility was registered with the Punjab Charity Commission, but the bureau has now written to the commission asking it to review the orphanage’s registration and take action in accordance with the law.
The bureau has also written to the relevant authorities, seeking police action against the orphanage and its owner.
Sarah Ahmed said the bureau would maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards violence and abuse against women and children, adding that no compromise would be made on their protection and safety.
“Every child deserves protection, dignity and safety. No orphan should be left at the mercy of those entrusted with their care,” she said in a statement on X, urging the Punjab police to hold those responsible accountable.
The bureau said it would work with the relevant institutions to make sure shelter homes follow standard operating procedures. It has issued minimum care standards for all orphanages housing children in Punjab and released a list of registered shelter homes.
The Waseem Abbas case
Waseem Abbas, 15, was an orphan who had been placed at the Multan orphanage by his maternal grandfather so he could receive an education instead of struggling on the streets. Residents said Abbas and his brother were admitted after their mother remarried following their father’s death.
The boy was allegedly run over by a contractor he worked for, sparking outrage in Multan. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan called for an independent probe, saying extrajudicial killings violate the right to due process and the case was an opportunity to establish the truth.
The prime suspect, a contractor identified as Tauqeer, was later killed in an alleged encounter with the Crime Control Department near Bahawalpur. The contractor’s case had already drawn attention after he was first sent on physical remand.
The bureau’s chairperson had earlier refused to register the orphanage, saying it failed to ensure the safety and supervision of a child placed with a contractor for work.
What happens next
The 16 children are now at the bureau’s Multan centre, where officials say they will receive care and protection. The Punjab Charity Commission’s review of the orphanage’s registration will decide whether the facility can continue operating at all.
Police action against the orphanage administration is also pending, following the bureau’s written request. Child rights advocates say the case should push the province to audit every shelter home, not just the one linked to Waseem’s death.
The bureau says its published list of registered shelter homes will help families verify where they place children, and that minimum care standards are now binding on all orphanages in Punjab.
Frequently asked questions
Why did the Child Protection Bureau take the children into custody?
The bureau took 16 children from a Multan orphanage into protective custody after the death of 15-year-old Waseem Abbas raised concerns about the orphanage’s supervision and its practice of placing children in work.
Who ordered the action?
CPWB Chairperson Sarah Ahmed directed a bureau team to visit the orphanage and shift the children to the bureau’s Multan centre.
Was the orphanage registered?
Its application for registration with the Child Protection Bureau had been rejected. It was registered with the Punjab Charity Commission, which the bureau has asked to review and act against the registration under the law.
What is the Waseem Abbas case?
Waseem Abbas, a 15-year-old orphan, was allegedly run over by his employer, a contractor, in Multan. The prime suspect was later killed in a CCD encounter, and the HRCP has demanded an independent probe into the killing.
