April 03, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 25, 1429

RAWALPINDI, April 2: Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau could not return ten children, held for begging, to their parents who gave surety that their children would not beg again. Child Protection Court Judge was not available.

The bureau produced 10 children in the court of additional district and sessions judge Mujahid Mustaqeem who was on leave and the duty judge was not available. The children under 14 years of age were taken into custody by the newly formed protection bureau from different parts of the city where they were begging.

The children were to be handed over to their parents who sought them back and gave written surety that they would never work or beg in the city.

They could get their children back through the court. They will get he children back on Thursday.

Niaz Mohammad an 11-year-old girl told this reporter outside the court that he used to sell different items at busy intersections and the bureau on the other hand claimed he was begging. He was recovered along with his eight year old brother Khan Muhammad.

Their father Saed Zareen sought their custody and assured the bureau that his sons would never beg again. He told Dawn that he had come from Swat where he had small piece of land to cultivate and there could be no cultivation in the winter and he would return in summer.

He said he had been taking up different laborious jobs and to make both ends meet as he was living with his wife and six children at a rented house in Pirwadhai.

According to information obtained by Dawn, the Punjab child protection bureau started functioning in Rawalpindi in March and so far had recovered some 41 children from different parts of the city.

Thirty eight children had been returned to their parents after getting surety and two were retained after the advice of the child psychiatrist and one had not been claimed by anyone.

Under Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children Act 2004, the child protection bureau can take into custody the below 14 year- old children who beg or work and can only be returned to the claiming parents or the near ones of the children after getting surety about their proper care. If a child is again found involved in begging punishment can be awarded to his id her parents.