Around 30,000-40,000 children are indulged in begging on the roads of the Lahore city, while a Mafia is actively involved in this act, which is also forcing the children for begging.
Chairperson Child Protection and Welfare Bureau and advisor to Chief Minister, Dr Faiza Asghar while delivering a lecture at the Institute of Communication Studies, University of the Punjab, here on Tuesday, revealed this. The topic of lecture was "Destitute Children and Our Responsibilities".
She further said that about 10,000 children are wandering in the streets of Lahore, 6,000 are facing sexual exploitation at the cost of around Rs15-25; while 16 beggar Mafias are operating in the city to ruin the future of poor children.
"Poverty is one of those factors that promote the problem of child begging. When the head of a family is addict, he did not concentrate on education of their children rather he force them for beggary", she said.
She urged upon the NGOs and individuals to play their due role in curbing child-begging and exploitation of street children. She urged the well-to-do people to provide protection and basic facilities to destitute children.
She further said that Child Protection Bureau has so far reunited 1633 children to their families while 200 children are residing in Bureau offices where facilities of food, education, medical and vocational training are being provided to them.
She further said that many of the street children face serious psychological problems, sometimes cutting themselves with razors, alongside skin infections, sexually transmitted diseases and problems arising from 'glue addiction'.
The glue is easily and cheaply available. In the long term, it can cause fatal organ damage. Most of the street children suffer respiratory problems or stomach complaints because of this addiction, she said.
Director ICS Professor Dr Mugheesuddin Sheikh in his welcome address said that every person should come forward to share the responsibility of the society regarding the help to forlorn children.
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