LAHORE: Describing the incidents of child kidnappings across Punjab as ‘alarming’, Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah on Friday ordered the authorities to ensure deployment of security guards in school vans. During the case hearing, the schools secretary informed court that security arrangements were completed at 6000 schools of A+ and A categories across the province. Meanwhile, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said that incidents of child kidnappings were alarming and it was the provincial government’s responsibility to ensure protection of its citizens. The court also directed the Punjab government to submit a detailed report regarding recovery of abducted children in the next hearing on September 20. Earlier on Tuesday, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif presided over a meeting of steering committee on missing children. He expressed satisfaction over the efforts made for the recovery of missing children and said that steps in this regard should be continued in a professional manner. He said that the Prosecution Department should actively perform its duties for early disposal of cases under hearing in courts and legislation should be made for declaring crime against children a non-bailable offence. He said that a plan should be evolved for enrolment of beggar children and effective steps taken for welfare and rehabilitation of such children. The chief minister said that beggary was not destiny of children and they should be make useful citizens. He said that an effective strategy would be evolved for elimination of beggary after looking into all aspects. The meeting was informed that 18 children have been returned to their homes or being recovered during last six days.