LAHORE: Child abuse in Pakistan is on the rise mainly due to lack of social security institutions as the global community is going to observe World Children Day today (Thursday).

Hundreds of seminars are being held by NGOs and government departments to highlight the issue of child abuse but all these efforts go in vain.

The government has been unable to streamline institutions and legal and social support infrastructure for protection to children. However, now the government of Pakistan is going to table bill in the parliament for children protection in the country.

On Wednesday, Child Protection and Welfare Bureau Punjab (Home Department) held a seminar to highlight objectives of World Children Day and speakers stressed the need of establishing institutions for protection of children in major cities with the government funding and allocation of state lands in various areas so that the dream of protecting children from various kinds of abuses and torture may be materialized.

Senior Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa, Child Protection and Welfare Bureau Chairperson Dr. Faiza Asghar and UNISEF Programme Officer Samshad Qureshi addressed the seminar and vowed to make decisive steps for ensuring safe future for children free of abuse and torture at home or school or other places including streets.

Nevertheless, it is good that today the world was celebrating the Universal Children''s Day meant for promoting awareness about the prevention of child''s physical, social and financial abuses.