The summary for establishment of the Zainab Alert Response and Recovery Agency (ZARRA) has been sent to the federal cabinet regarding efforts for missing and abducted children. The human rights ministry informed the Sindh High Court.
The ministry in its reply submitted that the Zainab Alert Response and Recovery Act was promulgated in March last year and rules could only be framed once the agency was established and notified.
When a two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar took up a petition seeking establishment of ZARRA, implementation of the act and formation of rules, an assistant attorney general submitted the reply of the ministry of human rights.
The ministry stated that it had forwarded a summary to the federal cabinet on Feb 16 for its approval and establishment of ZARRA as provided under Section 3 (1) of the act and as per statutory requirement rules would be framed after formation of the agency.
It further maintained that the ministry was also preparing standard operating procedures for smooth functioning of ZARRA.
The post of the agency’s director general had been advertised and candidates were also shortlisted. A summary in this regard was prepared and being sent to the prime minister as soon as the federal cabinet approved and notified the establishment of the agency, it added.
The ministry further stated that the PC-I had been prepared for upgrade of the existing helpline (1099).
The Zainab alert app launched in October last year had also been linked with the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit, it added.
