Miss Zakiya Shahnawaz, MPA and adviser to CM Punjab, was the chief guest on the occasion while MPA Saba Sadiq, Parliamentary Secretary Health Punjab Dr Saeed Ilahi, Head of Sociology Department of Punjab University Dr Hafeez, religious leaders, a large number of students and members of the civil society were also present. Shehzad Rauf and Kashan Haider were coordinators of the event.
MKRMS Chairman Wasif Nagi, in his opening remarks, said that 220 million children were involved in labour work in the world and among them, a high percentage belonged to Asian countries -- including Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. At present, he added, around 20 million children were involved in child labour in Pakistan
Dr Zakia Shahnawaz said that lack of education was the key issue causing all kinds of problems for the children. She termed children an economic asset of the country and urged religious leaders to play their role in promoting the values of children in Islam. She stressed the need for a small family, mother health and child health to check child labour and poverty from the society.
Dr Saeed Ilahi said that the Punjab government had taken various steps to address the issue and was establishing 100 playgrounds for children to improve their mental and physical health.
Dr Akmal urged families to play a definitive role in upbringing of children. He said the government should also take measures to protect the rights of children.
Arshad Waheed of the Social Welfare Department said that the situation of child rights was far better in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) and Sindh as compared to the Punjab. He underline the need to promote research in educational institutes to find causes and remedies of child labour and other issues faced by children.
MPA Saba Sadiq identified poverty and overpopulation as the main causes behind child labour, child rights and lack of child protection. The Punjab University Social Sciences dean said that improved education system would have a positive effect on the thinking of the whole society. She said that new laws should be made besides amending the existing laws also, for the purpose.
Afshan Tehsin of UNECIEF asked the sitting parliamentarians to make a comprehensive child protection policy, calling for need to revisit the children act. Ijaz CH, senior vice president, PTI, said that family institutions needed to be improved according to changing patterns, so that it could play its basic role of upbringing their children.
He said that education, health and opportunities for moving forward should be equally given to all members of the society. Allam Zubair and Maulana Abdul Wahab highlighted the importance of child rights in Islam and regretted that, due to non-implementation of the existing laws, problems being faced by children were rising with every passing day.
