LAHORE: Almost all of the 36 orphanages which are not registered with the Social Welfare Department are in a deplorable condition and are being run on commercial basis. A survey, conducted by [the agency’s] correspondent, revealed that no reforms have been introduced in these institutions and no positive efforts have been made to register them either by the Social Welfare Department or managements of these orphanages.

These orphanages are more or less commercial ventures and managements of most of these houses are reported to have been exploiting the goodwill of the people for their personal gains thus making money at the expense of the inmates of these institutions and the general public. Orphans in these institutions continue to go out for begging and attending charity feasts, despite that the same have been prohibited by the Social Welfare Department. Living conditions in these so-called orphanages are awfully poor and inmates are not even provided with basic facilities of education, health and recreation. Prominent social workers, when contacted, expressed concern over the alarming state of affairs prevailing in these unregistered orphanages.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2019