Punjab Vagrancy (Amendment) Bill 2026: 3 months to 3 years in jail and Rs 100,000 to Rs 300,000 fine for parents who use children to beg

The Punjab Assembly's Committee on Home Affairs has unanimously approved the Punjab Vagrancy (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which proposes jail and heavy fines for parents and guardians who use children for begging. ProPakistani reported the committee meeting, chaired by MPA Safdar Hussain Sahi, on 4 November 2026. The bill still has to pass the full Assembly.

What the bill proposes

• Penalty: parents or guardians who use children for begging, let others exploit them, or negligently fail to prevent it face imprisonment from three months to three years and a fine of Rs 100,000 to Rs 300,000.
• Age: the child protection age rises from 14 to 16 years, by amending the Punjab Vagrancy Ordinance, 1958.
• Enforcement: the Director General of Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal, Punjab, would act as the controller coordinating anti-begging operations.

The controller would inspect welfare and rehabilitation centres, keep a central database, issue standard operating procedures and supervise rehabilitation programmes. The amendments also aim to improve coordination between departments and the monitoring of people taken into custody and later rehabilitated.

Replacing an ordinance

The bill would replace an amending ordinance issued earlier in 2026, turning its provisions into provincial law by an Act of the Assembly. An ordinance is temporary, so the bill is what would make the rules permanent.

What to know in Lahore and other cities

The penalties fall on parents, guardians and those who exploit children, and the new controller and central database are meant to coordinate rehabilitation after children are taken into custody. ProPakistani noted that the results will depend on rehabilitation centres, trained staff and funding. More rules that affect households are in our Pakistan news section.

What happens next

After committee approval the bill goes to the full Punjab Assembly for a vote. We will update this page when it is tabled or passed.