August 05, 2007	Sunday	Rajab 20, 1428

LAHORE, Aug 4: A 16-year-old camel jockey got united with his family after a decade through the Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau. Arshad’s father Muhammad Hashim, a resident of Chak 104/1-L in Khanpur tehsil of Rahim Yar Khan, had three sons and three daughters. A woman known as Mai Naziran convinced him to send his two elder sons to Dubai, telling him that they would serve the Sheikhs there and he would receive 400 to 800 dirhams in the form of their wages.

Hashim first sent his five-year-old son, Khalid, to Dubai and after six months allowed six-year-old Arshad to depart without having any idea that his sons would be used as camel jockeys in Dubai. He came to know about it when he visited Dubai after his family stopped receiving the wages.

He tried to bring his sons back, but their employer refused to release them. He, however, succeeded in getting Khalid released and returned with him after requesting his cousin living in Dubai to remain in contact with Arshad.

Arshad was handed over to the social ministry in Dubai along with other children after imposition of ban on use of children in camel races. He was later handed over to the CPWB which got the address of his parents from his uncle and united him with his family.

He met two of his younger sisters born after his departure to Dubai for the first time.