Punjab Bill Raises Child Protection Age to 16

A Punjab Assembly committee has unanimously approved amendments to the provincial vagrancy law. The changes raise the child protection age from 14 to 16 years and introduce prison terms and fines for parents and guardians who use children for begging.

The Committee on Home Affairs approved the Punjab Vagrancy (Amendment) Bill, 2026, at a meeting on Tuesday chaired by MPA Safdar Hussain Sahi.

What the bill changes

The bill amends the Punjab Vagrancy Ordinance, 1958, strengthening safeguards for children and creating a coordinated mechanism for anti-begging operations and rehabilitation.

Under the proposed amendments, the protected age of children rises from 14 to 16 years. Parents and guardians will be held directly responsible if they employ children for begging, permit others to use them for that purpose or negligently fail to prevent their exploitation.

Violations will carry imprisonment from three months to three years and a fine from Rs100,000 to Rs300,000. The bill also repeals the earlier 2026 amending ordinance, folding the changes into provincial law.

Who will enforce the new child protection age

The legislation designates the director general of Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal, Punjab, as the controller. That office will coordinate anti-vagrancy operations and inspect welfare and rehabilitation centres.

The controller will also maintain a central database, issue operating procedures, oversee rehabilitation schemes and improve monitoring of persons taken into custody and later rehabilitated.

The expanded age limit and tougher penalties aim to discourage exploitation by families and organised begging networks. However, effective implementation will depend on rehabilitation facilities, trained staff and financial resources.

Concerns also remain over the negligence provision, which could affect economically vulnerable families struggling to meet basic needs. Without adequate social protection and livelihood support, enforcement risks focusing on arrests rather than addressing the underlying causes of child begging.

A second bill: faster dispute settlement in 30 days

The same day brought a second approval. The Punjab Assembly’s Standing Committee on Law unanimously approved a bill proposing resolution of specified disputes within 30 days through mediation.

The Punjab Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Bill, 2026, was approved at a meeting chaired by MPA Muhammad Arshad Malik. Parliamentary Secretary for Law Khalid Mahmood Ranjha attended, along with officials of the assembly, Law Department and other government departments.

Under the framework, specified civil, family, property and similar disputes may go to trained mediators. The mediation process is to finish within 30 days, with an extension of up to 60 days where necessary. Agreements go to the relevant court for approval and enforcement; if mediation fails, the dispute proceeds through the regular judicial process.

The bill also provides for confidentiality, lets overseas Pakistanis take part through video conferencing, and proposes female mediators, where possible, in cases involving women. An autonomous Punjab ADR Authority, headed by a retired High Court judge, will regulate the system and train and monitor mediators.

What this means for children and families in Punjab

The bill is a committee approval, not yet a law: it still needs passage by the full Assembly before the new child protection age takes effect.

Even so, the direction is significant: raising the protected age by two years extends legal cover to older children often pushed into street begging, and the controller role gives the system a single coordinating office.

The test will be rehabilitation: a central database and inspected centres will only change lives if centres have space, staff and funds. Punjab to Lighten Schoolbags With New Curriculum reported lighter textbooks and video lessons for primary classes, a sign that children’s welfare is on the provincial agenda.

Child protection is also a live debate elsewhere in the country. Sindh Opposition Seeks Probe Into Minor Girls Cases covered demands for inquiries into alleged abduction and forced marriage of minor girls.

Frequently asked questions

What is the new child protection age in Punjab?

The bill raises the protected age from 14 to 16 years. It was approved by the Committee on Home Affairs, but it still needs full Assembly passage before it becomes law.

What punishment does the bill propose?

Violations carry three months to three years in prison and a fine of Rs100,000 to Rs300,000 for parents and guardians who use children for begging or negligently fail to prevent it.

Who will enforce the amended vagrancy law?

The director general of Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal, Punjab, will act as controller, coordinating operations, inspecting centres, maintaining a database and issuing procedures.

What does the ADR bill propose?

It proposes settling specified civil, family, property and similar disputes through mediation within 30 days, with an extension of up to 60 days where necessary.

Is the vagrancy bill already law?

No. The committee approved the bill unanimously, but it must still pass through the Punjab Assembly before the changes take legal effect.