The Helpline Center of the Pakistan Railway police in Karachi has so far rehabilitated 585 people, who had either left their homes or ran away from their homes. After its coming into being in January 2003 the Centre has recovered/traced 579 children. It has handed over 423 to their families and 156 have been handed over to the Edhi Centre. It has also recovered six women, three have been sent to the Edhi Centre whereas three handed over to their families.

During the same period, the PR Helpline Centre recovered goods worth Rs 2.8 million, cash Rs 0.8 million, jewellery worth Rs 1.2 million which were handed over to their owners. The Centre has also helped 8,708 passengers, who were found in need of different kinds of assistance at the railway station.

Karachi Helpline Centre Incharge ASI Tahir Munir Ahmed told Business Recorder on Wednesday that these centres were established at Karachi, Rohri, Multan, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and Peshawar in January 2003.

The main purpose of these centres is to hand over the lost and found children, goods and luggage to their rightful owners.

He advised all the passengers to put their complete address with their telephone numbers in their luggage so that they could inform in case of missing of their goods during travelling.

The people in need of assistance may contact Pakistan Railway Helpline Centre on help-line number 1333 or telephone number 9201114.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2005