After 21 years of wait, a special child, Shagufta, who went missing from Lahore, has finally been reunited with her mother in Karachi. This emotional reunion of Shagufta highlights the dedication, tireless efforts, and real impact of Mera Pyara – Virtual Center for Child Safety. It also shows the strength of patience, hope, and the unbreakable bond between a mother and her child.
Shagufta disappeared in July 2004, when she was only 10 years old, from the Fateh Garh area of Lahore. Due to her mental disability, she was unable to tell her home address or family details. A kind hearted citizen found her alone and shifted her to Edhi Home Lahore, from where she was later transferred to Edhi Center Karachi. For years, she lived there without identity, family, or answers, waiting silently.
Under the Punjab Safe Cities Authority, the Mera Pyara - Virtual Center for Child Safety reunification team visited Edhi Home North Karachi and conducted a detailed interview with Shagufta. She could recall very little about her past, only that she belonged to Lahore. During the discussion, when the team mentioned different areas of Lahore, her recognition of the name Fateh Garh became the first ray of hope in this long journey toward the Shagufta reunion.
Acting on this clue, the Mera Pyara team carried out field visits. It launched targeted awareness campaigns through its official platforms and social media outreach in Fateh Garh and surrounding areas. By the grace of Allah, a woman contacted the team and confirmed that the girl shown was her real sister, Shagufta, who had gone missing 21 years earlier.
After complete verification, Shagufta’s mother and family were brought to Edhi Center Karachi. Where, after more than two decades, a mother embraced her long-lost daughter. You can read more reunification stories on Mera Pyara website.
These moments truly define an emotional family reunion.
This success story reflects the broader mission of Mera Pyara, Pakistan’s largest child safety and protection center. In the past 16 months, Mera Pyara has handled over 100,000 child related cases nationwide. These include 53,000 lost and found cases involving children, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities, out of which 51,000 individuals were successfully reunited with their families. Additionally, 47,000 cases related to child abuse, harassment, digital abuse, sexual violence, exploitation, and other child safety concerns were reported, with 41,000 cases successfully resolved through timely action.
To support families across Pakistan, Mera Pyara has compiled verified data of unidentified individuals living in orphanages and shelter homes, available on the Mera Pyara official website. If you recognize someone or want to learn how to report a missing child or kid, please contact the Mera Pyara helpline at 0309-0000015 and help bring another family back together.
Because every reunion matters, and no child should ever remain lost. In Sha Allah.
Read another story of Kiran who reunited with her family after 17 long years.
واللہ المستعان