Sir: Child labour is one of the biggest curses in this country. It is heartbreaking to see children of the age of eight or nine working hard to clean houses or sell items on the road in the heat just to earn a little money. Sadly, the parents of these children either cannot afford to send their children to school or, being illiterate themselves, think the child does not have any right to acquire an education. The innocence of these children is being ripped to shreds. They are at that joyous stage of life where they should not have any worries or hardships. It is the job of the government to provide free education for those who do not have the facilities to acquire it themselves. I urge the people who employ the parents of such children to try to help these poor souls by giving them an education themselves or if they are wealthy enough, then to help pay for their schooling. Awareness needs to be spread in order to get rid of this curse. LALARUKH NAEEM Karachi