Sir: It is fair to say that there are many child labourers in the world. It is believed that a child can develop a nation. However, there are many child labourers whose future is destroyed due to working from an early age. Child labour is a crime all over the world. It is one of the burning issues in Pakistan, where there are at least 12 million child labourers. A child’s basic need is to be educated rather than being forced to work. However, most children here on being asked as to why they work reply that they do not have fathers in their families, therefore they are forced to work. A boy on being asked as to why he worked replied, “No one helps me as I am poor. My mother is in hospital and if I work, she will be able to stay alive. I also want my brothers and sister to study in school.” Children are flowers of heaven. They are the most beautiful and purest creation of the Almighty. They are innocent and, undoubtedly, they are the beauty of this world. Many Pakistani children cannot go to school due to financial problems, so they have to kill their aspirations and dreams. They are forced to earn a living for themselves and for their families from an early age. FIDA HUSSAIN Turbat