Child labour

Children are the most precious gift of ALLAH and the future of any nation. The nations, who want to reach the status of a developed nation in future, have to try their level best to facilitate their children but here in Pakistan Child labor is at its peak. UNICEF defines “child labor” as some kind of work or job performed by children under the age of 18.Unbridled inflation; illiteracy; poverty and unemployment are the major causes behind the growing menace of child labor. We find many children working at hotels, auto-shops, transport vans, printing industry, service stations or selling different types of things on the street. Although no authentic figures are available about the number of such children but according to Manpower Pakistan Survey (2007-08), 21 million children of age group 10 to 14 are working in various sectors.

In 2003, UNICEF reported that about 8 million children were involved in economic activities while Human Rights Commission of Pakistan report of 2005 indicated the number of child laborers in the country was 10 million.

Government of Pakistan has passed the law that primary education is compulsory for everyone but we all know the efforts for implementatoin of this law are equal to zero. The leaders of all political parties claim that Pakistan will be prosperous but the questions arise that how can it be with the children working on street rather than studying. How can a nation get developed without its people being literate? How will the people choose what’s right & what’s wrong when they don’t have the wisdom to judge that. I, as the citizen of Karachi and as the part of the nation would like to request the Government of Pakistan to please take measures to ensure a bright future for the Children of Pakistan and to country itself.