Daily Times

The World Day Against Child Labour was observed on Sunday across the globe including Pakistan to raise awareness of the predicament of child laborers world-wide which was effecting hundreds of millions of girls and boys around the world. Child labour is a problem in both developing and industrialized countries.

On this occasion, President Dr Arif Alvi said that Pakistan was committed to its international obligations towards prevention of child labour in all its forms and manifestations.

“World Day against Child Labour is observed all over the world to raise awareness for the prevention of child labour, encourage stakeholders to speak against this social evil and re-affirms our resolve to end child labour in all its forms and manifestations,” the President said in a message on the observance of the Day across the globe on June 12. The President said that child labour was a growing curse in the world, particularly the developing countries and Pakistan was the victim of this growing global phenomenon

Chairperson National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) Afshan Tehseen Bajwa said in her message on the occasion that protecting the most vulnerable of children across Pakistan from the exploitation was a collective national resolve. More than 6.4 million children in Sindh were out of school and most of them are engaged in the worst forms of indecent child labour that has deprived them from their rights, she said.

Chairperson Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) Sarah Ahmad has said that employment of a child under 15 years of age in any factory or other workplaces was a criminal offence under the Punjab Domestic Act. She said that every child had the right to education and better health. The Day is observed to raise awareness about prevention from child labour, encourage stakeholders to speak against this social evil and re-affirm the resolve to end child labour, she expressed.