Sir: This is apropos of child labourers in Pakistan. Children are the future of any nation and therefore they should be groomed so that they become good citizens. Child labour is a serious crime all over the world. UNICEF defines child labour as some type of work performed by children below the age of 18. There is something seriously wrong with our country, which not only fails to educate all its children but also depends on them in some aspects to keep its economy afloat. The country is heading back into the dark ages with only a few lucky ones receiving education. According to the statistics released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics last year, 3.8 million children in the age group of five to 14 years are working in our country out of 40 million children. Fifty percent of these economically active children are in the age group of five to nine years. Even out of these 3.8 million children, 2.7 million were claimed to be working in the agricultural sector. About 2,400,000 (73 percent) of them were said to be boys. The law says that primary education is compulsory for everyone, but we all know that actions speak louder than words. Government should supply free books to government schools and should make the level of its schools at par with that of private schools so that a condition of equality exists. It should take notice of child labour as well and take strict action against those responsible to safeguard the future of Pakistan. JAVED JAGIRANI Larkana