Islamabad: A meeting of the Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs took place under the leadership of Mr. Rana Iradat Sharif Khan, MNA, in the old PIPS Hall at Parliament Lodges, Islamabad. The meeting centered on improving the grievance redressal systems and addressing the issue of missing children.

According to a statement by National Assembly of Pakistan, the Secretary of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs highlighted the need for integrating the Prime Minister’s Public Affairs and Grievances Wing, Pakistan Citizen Portal with the grievance systems of the Chief Ministers, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. This integration aims to facilitate the swift resolution of public grievances.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Human Rights informed the committee about the Section 3 of Zainab Alert Response and Recovery Act, 2020, which calls for the creation of the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Agency (ZARRA). ZARRA has launched a toll-free helpline, 1099, providing legal assistance and coordinating administrative measures to aid the safe return of missing children. To date, 4,591 cases have been reported, with 3,869 resolved, while 722 remain active.

The committee urged ZARRA to work with provincial authorities to develop strategies for expediting cases of missing children. It also stressed the importance of police departments sharing data promptly and regularly with the agency.

The meeting was attended by several MNAs, including Mr. Raja Qamar-ul-Islam and Mr. Mahmood Bashir Virk, among others, as well as senior officers from the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, the Ministry of Human Rights, PMDU, and other ministries.