Daily Times

Sir: This letter intends to bring your kind attention to the very big issue of child labour in Pakistan, which seems to be increasing day by day.

In my opinion, the main cause behind this rise are the uneducated and unprepared parents that have children without any prior planning, especially when it comes to their finances. They are the main criminals, as they are later forced to send their children of to work in order to make money for the whole family, in the process robbing them of their childhood. Many of these child workers are often abused at their place of work, have to suffer through regular beatings, and in some cases even torture.

Many children are sent to live with middle class and elitist families to work as their domestic help. These jobs can prove to be particularly dangerous for children, as they are at the risk of physical and sexual abuse as there is no real supervision to ensure their wellbeing, except for the people who hired them in the first place.

This issue cannot be solved unless the laws against child labour are not strictly implemented and regulated simultaneously. Moreover, access to education for the entire population of children in the country is the primary method in which Child labour can be eliminated once and for all and the concerned authorities should immediately make this a priority for the future.

HAFSA MARYAM SIDDIQUI

Karachi

Published in Daily Times, July 27^th 2018.