Government to introduce Child Abduction ‘Amber Alert’ System in Pakistan

Amber alert or Child Abduction Emergency is a system that is alerted during any child abduction. It works in a way that if any authority or law enforcement finds that a child has been abducted and the abduction falls in amber alert criteria broadcasters and transportation officials are notified. Normal programming is interrupted and the abduction is broadcasted immediately on TV, radio etc.

The government of Pakistan is introducing Amber alert system in certain areas of Pakistan. If the system will be successful it will be introduced all over Punjab.

Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CP&WB) Chairperson Saba Sadiq announced this as she presided over a sub-committee meeting. The meeting was held to discuss the Amber Alert system. This is confirmed as per a press release issued.

In the meeting, it was discussed that what steps can be introduced in the alert system to help find abducted children in Punjab. The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) presented on the approved system and the Safe City Authority informed about it.

In short Amber system will aid in collection and distribution of information regarding a missing child to the appropriate authorities so that the children can be quickly rescued.

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This system was first introduced in the USA. Until November 2017 in the USA around 897 kids have been rescued via Amber Alert. As per US Department of Justice, the system is applicable in the 50 states of America.

The name AMBER also has a history as officially AMBER can be called America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. But it was really named after a 9-year-old Amber Hagerman who was kidnapped and murdered in Arlington, Texas, in 1996. Amber couldn’t be saved but after this system, many Amber’s were rescued before it was too late for them.

Now in Pakistan, the public will be alerted in case of disappearances of children and they can play a part in stopping these atrocities.