Holding the State Accountable for Every Life
In response to the horrifying and recurring tragedy of newborn babies being found discarded in garbage dumps, streets, and drains—many of them dead or severely neglected—Horizon International Legal Experts LLC filed a public interest petition before the Lahore High Court, demanding urgent state action for the protection of abandoned infants.
The petition was based on reports and field data indicating that no single government department—health, child protection, police, or social welfare—accepts responsibility for these abandoned lives. As a result, countless newborns have died without receiving any medical care, shelter, or recognition of their right to life under the Constitution.
Our petition emphasized:
Article 9 (Right to Life) and Article 14 (Dignity of Man) of the Constitution guarantee protection to every human being, including newborns, regardless of their parentage or social status.
The failure to create a coordinated state response mechanism constitutes willful negligence and discrimination against the most vulnerable class of citizens.
The absence of emergency rescue protocols, baby cradles, or referral systems between hospitals, police, and child protection units violates Pakistan’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
We requested the Honorable High Court to:
Declare the abandonment and neglect of newborns a violation of fundamental rights;
Direct the government to assign inter-departmental responsibility, with clear SOPs for police, hospitals, and social welfare departments;
Establish safe baby drop-off points/cradles at hospitals and child protection offices across the province;
Launch a public awareness campaign to encourage safe alternatives and reduce the social stigma that leads to such abandonments.
The Court took serious notice of the issue and sought detailed replies from the Punjab Child Protection Bureau, Health Department, and Social Welfare Department. The petition continues to push for a humane, state-led framework that ensures no child is born into a system that discards them like waste.
