When people hear the name Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA), they often imagine cameras, screens, and advanced technology. But behind all the systems, servers, and surveillance infrastructure lies a deeply human mission, Mera Pyara - Virtual Centre for Child Safety.
Launched on 26 July 2024 by CM Maryam Nawaz Mera, Pyara began with a simple but powerful commitment:
No child, senior citizen, or person with disabilities should remain lost, unidentified, or separated from their family.
Today, just sixteen months later, Mera Pyara has become Pakistan’s largest and most trusted lost-and-found child safety platform, handling more than 100,000 cases, a scale no other system in the country can manage. The initiative originated in Punjab and now operates across all of Pakistan.
The Beginning of a Nationwide Mission
Mera Pyara was never meant to be just another government project. It was designed as a people-focused system that combines technology, field teams, and community support to help reunite lost individuals
From day one, the idea was clear:
Every lost child deserves to be reunited with their family. Every special individual deserves identity. Every elderly person deserves safety.
In the beginning, the initiative relied mainly on its AI-powered record-matching system, which helped identify patterns, match lost persons’ records, and expedite verification. As the system improved and began producing more accurate matches, the team expanded its approach by moving to social media platforms.
Once the interviews of found children were uploaded, the project gained remarkable momentum. People started recognising children, sharing posts, identifying faces, and reaching out with vital information. The combination of AI matching and social media outreach transformed the entire process, making reunification faster, more widespread, and far more effective.
In just 16 months, Mera Pyara received more than 100,000 cases from across Pakistan — a scale unmatched by any child safety or lost-and-found platform anywhere in the world. Out of these, 53,000 cases were directly related to lost or found children, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities.
Most importantly, the Mera Pyara team successfully reunited more than 51,000 individuals with their families, a milestone that reflects its impact, dedication, and efficiency.
Why Mera Pyara is Pakistan’s Largest Child Safety Centre
The success of Mera Pyara is not accidental. It is the result of a unique combination of field expertise, technology, and public participation. In a country of 241.5 million people, reuniting thousands of lost individuals requires a system that works around the clock with precision, empathy, and coordination.
Reaching Every Corner of Pakistan
Although it originated in Punjab, home to around 130 million people, Mera Pyara now works throughout Pakistan. Cases from Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, and rural districts hundreds of kilometers apart are handled with equal priority. Families in remote areas, who previously had no platform to report or trace lost individuals, now have a dependable and responsive system to help them.
A Hybrid of AI and Humanity
Mera Pyara works through a powerful mix of technology and humanity. Every case begins with a call to Punjab 15, where details are collected and added to a central, unified database. AI record-matching then searches for possible matches, and many children are reunited through this automated system. For the cases where AI alone isn’t enough, the team launches targeted social media campaigns.
Found children are gently interviewed, while the banners are created for lost individuals. These are shared on Mera Pyara’s website, Public Safety App, and Official Social Media platforms. If a child mentions a specific city or area, the team boosts the interview in that region. This hybrid model, which combines technology with human compassion, is the project’s true strength.
Collaborations Across Pakistan
Mera Pyara maintains strong collaborations with every Edhi Centre, Child Protection Cell, mental health hospital, orphanage, and old age home in Pakistan. Mera Pyara stays in direct contact with every police station in Punjab, 24 hours a day, to ensure fast response. Once a case is reported, the police officers in the respective police station are immediately dispatched to assist. This seamless coordination ensures that every lost child, senior citizen, or person with disabilities receives rapid support and safety.
Field Teams Everywhere
Mera Pyara’s field teams work in almost every district across Punjab. They visit shelters, child protection centres, hospitals, Edhi Homes, orphanages, and welfare organisations. They meet children personally, trace families through small clues, coordinate with local authorities, and verify identities before reunification.
This kind of ground-level coordination does not exist in any other safety network in the country.
Mera Pyara Reunification Stories That Brought Hope to Thousands
Perhaps the most powerful part of Mera Pyara is its reunification stories — emotional journeys that remind us why this platform is so important. These reunifications show the system’s real impact and reveal the human connection behind the statistics.
There was mentally challenged Sabir, who remained missing for eighteen years after losing his way. He lived in Multan Edhi home without any identity until Mera Pyara traced his family back in Bannu. His return was a miracle his family had prayed for every single day for nearly two decades.
Then came Faizan, a little boy who accidentally travelled more than 700 kilometres from Karachi to Sahiwal. He was too young to remember his home, but a nationwide social media appeal helped the team locate his family within days.
Zafar, deaf and mute, lived four years without being able to speak or identify himself. Mera Pyara used an interview video to reach thousands online, and his family saw him after years of uncertainty and heartbreak.
Hafsa went missing for three years, and her mother spent every day praying for her daughter’s return. When Mera Pyara uploaded Hafsa’s video, her uncle recognised her instantly, leading to one of the most emotional mother–child reunions the team had ever witnessed.
There are thousands of reunification stories more. These stories are not just successes — they are reminders of why this project exists. They demonstrate the impact a single shared video, a single interview, or a single public alert can make.
How the Mera Pyara System Works from Start to Finish
Understanding the strength of Mera Pyara means understanding how smoothly the system operates. Every step, from reporting to verification, is designed to ensure safety, speed, and accuracy.
When someone needs to report a lost or found individual, the quickest option for residents of Punjab is the toll-free Punjab 15 Helpline (Press 3). People from any part of Pakistan, including Punjab, can also report both lost and found cases through the verified WhatsApp helpline 0309-0000015, the Mera Pyara Facebook page, the official Mera Pyara website, or the Public Safety App. These multiple channels ensure that anyone, from anywhere, can easily report a case and seek immediate help.
Once a case is reported, whether a lost or found individual, the Mera Pyara team begins by recording all details and, if possible, conducting a brief interview. All information is stored in a secure central database for both lost and found cases. The AI record-matching system first tries to identify the individual automatically.
For unmatched cases, a social media campaign is launched with banners or short videos, targeting areas mentioned by the child or individual. Once recognised, the team verifies through proper legal and law enforcement channels and arranges a safe reunion. This efficient system ensures families are reunited quickly, restoring hope and security.
This streamlined and highly effective process has reunited thousands of families, restoring hope to those who once feared they might never see their loved ones again.
Conclusion: A Beacon of Hope for Every Family in Pakistan
From its launch on 26 July 2024 to today, Mera Pyara has achieved what no system in the World has ever accomplished. What started as a vision has become a national movement — one that reunites families, restores identity, and brings hope where it was once lost.
Over 51,000 families have reunited with their loved ones.
Over 100000 cases have been handled with care.
And an entire nation is now connected through a system built on compassion, humanity, and technology.
Mera Pyara serves as a reminder that even in a complicated world, the power of community and technology can create miracles.