The Child Protection and Welfare Bureau on Thursday recovered a child maid, who is around 10 years old, from a house in Lahore's Defence Housing Authority (DHA) where she was allegedly being tortured by her employer.

A first information report (FIR) was also lodged at the Kahna police station with an official of the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau as the complainant. According to the FIR, residents of the area had called the bureau's helpline after they heard the child screaming and complained that a woman was torturing her young maid at the house.

The FIR was registered under Section 328(A) of the Pakistan Penal Code (exposure and abandonment of child under twelve years by parent or person having care of it), Sections 34 (unauthorised custody) and 35 (cruelty against children) of the Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children Act 2004.

The employer — who was arrested by police — allegedly slapped and punched the child and beat her with a floor wiper.

The Child Protection and Welfare Bureau was established by the Punjab government in 2004. The bureau's aim is to provide "care, rehabilitation, education and training to the destitute and neglected children".

The bureau also provides education, skill training and psychological help to destitute children. Child protection courts have also been established in order to address legal issues of custody etc.