LAHORE (Muhammad Ashfaq) – The prosecutor general of Punjab has issued a letter calling for mandatory verification from the Sex Offenders Register prior to hiring in educational institutions.
Prosecutor General Punjab, Syed Farhad Ali Shah, sent a two-page letter to the secretary prosecution, stating that it is essential to check the Sex Offender Record before hiring faculty and staff in educational institutions. He said NADRA’s Sex Offenders Register is an effective tool for ensuring the safety of children in schools.
The letter highlighted a major gap in the current recruitment system, noting that existing background checks in educational institutions do not reveal previous records of sexual offenses. Hiring sex offenders can put the entire institution at risk.
The Law and Justice Department has been urged to create a mechanism for access to the Sex Offender Register. It has also been recommended that sex-offender verification be made mandatory for all public and private educational institutions.
Verification from NADRA’s Sex Offenders Register should be required not only for new recruits but also for existing employees. The new policy, it stated, would help ensure better protection of children in educational settings.