LAHORE:Punjab Safe Cities Authority’s (PSCA) flagship initiative, ‘Mera Pyara’ (Virtual Centre for Child Safety), has been recognised as a Champion Project at the WSIS Prizes 2026, organised under the auspices of the United Nations.
The achievement reflects international recognition of the Punjab government's innovative approach to digital governance and citizen-centric public service delivery.According to the PSCA's spokesperson, in April 2026, two projects of the PSCA Virtual Women Police Station and Virtual Centre for Child Safety (Mera Pyara) were shortlisted for the WSIS Prizes 2026. This was a unique achievement for Pakistan, as both public service initiatives from Punjab secured recognition at one of the world's most prestigious platforms aimed to enhance digital development and innovation.
‘Mera Pyara’ is an innovative digital platform developed by the Punjab Safe Cities Authority to help reunite missing children, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities with their families. Since its launching, the initiative has facilitated to effectively deal with more than 145,000 child-related cases, including over 54,000 missing children cases.
The spokesperson underscored that “Mera Pyara” platform has successfully reunited more than 77,000 missing children with their families, including thousands of differently-abled children.
In addition, this unique platform has played a vital role in providing timely assistance and guidance in cases pertaining to child exploitation, online harassment, and other sensitive child protection matters. The spokesperson underlined that the WSIS Awards, organised under the United Nations framework, are widely acknowledged as one of the most prestigious global platforms recognising excellence in digital governance, public service innovation, and technology-driven social impact. The global recognition of ‘Mera Pyara’ initiative is a matter of pride not only for the Punjab province but for the entire country and its nation.
