CM expresses gratitude as ‘Mera Pyara’ project wins UN recognition

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has expressed gratitude after the province’s “Mera Pyara” project was declared a Global Champion by the United Nations-backed World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Awards 2026.

In a landmark achievement for Pakistan, two projects launched under the leadership of the chief minister have been included in the top rankings of the WSIS Awards. The Virtual Centre for Child Safety (VCCS) “Mera Pyara” project has been ranked among the world’s top five initiatives, while the Virtual Women Police Station has been shortlisted among the top 20 projects globally.

The inclusion of the two Punjab government initiatives has made Pakistan the only country in the world with two shortlisted projects in the WSIS category.

Congratulating the “Mera Pyara” project team on being named a Global Champion, Maryam Nawaz Sharif said the recognition of two Punjab programmes at the prestigious United Nations forum was a matter of honour and reflected the province’s progress in digital governance and public service delivery.

She said the Virtual Centre for Child Safety had set a remarkable example by handling more than 145,000 child-related cases and taking effective action in over 54,000 cases involving missing children. CM Punjab termed the efforts made for tracing and protecting missing children highly commendable.

The chief minister added the project had also provided assistance in cases related to child abuse, online harassment and the protection of vulnerable children. She added that the international recognition of “Mera Punjab” was evidence of global acknowledgment of technology-driven public services and had helped project a positive image of Pakistan worldwide.

According to the WSIS report, the Virtual Centre for Child Safety has dealt with more than 145,772 cases across various categories, of which 136,157 have been successfully resolved.

A total of 26,274 first information reports (FIRs) have been registered, while 7,081 challans have been submitted to courts. The report stated that of the 54,741 reported cases of missing or abducted children, 53,811 children were successfully traced and reunited with their families. More than 77,000 missing children have been recovered through the initiative, including around 3,000 special children who were reunited with their families under the Punjab government’s efforts.

Rescue teams recovered 22,989 children, of whom 21,178 were immediately handed over to their families. The report noted that 930 children remain missing and 1,811 are yet to be identified, with follow-up efforts continuing on a daily basis.

It was revealed that 15,447 cases of violence and abuse against children had been reported. In response, authorities registered 5,075 FIRs, arrested 3,830 suspects and submitted challans in 4,168 cases to courts. The report also documented 191 cases of online and digital abuse involving children, leading to the registration of 14 FIRs and the arrest of five suspects.

In addition, 4,377 cases involving differently-abled persons were reported, of which 2,984 individuals were recovered and reunited with their families. Police registered 646 FIRs to ensure their protection. The report added that 251 affected individuals were provided shelter and care through the Child Protection Bureau, while 14 others were accommodated at Dar-ul-Aman facilities.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026