Eleven-year-old Javed, a bonded worker, fled from captivity of his employer’s home in Rawalpindi and is currently with the city’s Child Protection Bureau. The minor reacted to his employer’s physical violence and dared to flee Friday evening. His swollen and bruised hands and feet carry marks of violence. He is under treatment at the children’s shelter at Morgah, a public facility for street children. Though the child’s rescue and relief is temporarily addressed, there is no move against his employers, who kept him forcibly for two years.
According to Javed, he was trafficked to Rawalpindi from Okara two years ago by his aunt, who brought him to the home of his employers and left the same day. He knew that he was being taken for work. But he did not know that his work would be so dirty and difficult. He was also unaware that his work will be unpaid until his employer told him so. “Baji said that she has given money to Masi Kauser for the work I will be doing,” he recalled without any emotion.
Even if Javed, understood that he was sold off he was too weak to get out of labour bondage. He was at the mercy of his purchasers who strictly forbade him from stepping out of the house. For two years Javed was confined to his master’s home. He slept alone in a servant quarter on the top floor of the house. At night the room was locked from outside for security reasons, he narrated.
Responding to a question, if he felt lonely and isolated he kept quiet for a while and said ‘no’. Giving details of the incident that led to his escape Javed said that on Friday morning he cleaned and mopped the house but his work was unsatisfactory and enraged his employer who beat him with a wooden stick. She used to shout and hit for working slowly or doing a task badly. “I wanted to run away earlier l but did not know how.”
The same evening Javed got a chance to escape from captivity. He saw the gate unlocked and suddenly gathered courage to get out of the house. He did and ran towards the forested green area falling and tripping, over the railings and barbed fences of the unknown territory. Luckily the weeping boy was spotted by Rozi Khan, a local gardener. The God fearing man sheltered him in his hut for the night and connected him, to the Child Protection Centre, Morgah. “I feel very sorry for him and pray that he unites with his family,” Rozi Khan told this scribe.
Javed is not sure if he wants to go back to his family in Okara. “Can’t I stay here?” he inquires from Mohammad Waseem, the protection officer at the Child Protection Bureau. The officer informed that the majority of children picked from streets are not willing to go home. They prefer staying at the facility where they get decent meals, washed clothes, a bed to sleep and games to play. And above all they are not forced to earn money for their families, “Poverty is no excuse for irresponsible parenting,” says Saadia Manzoor, the facility manager.
Sharing her experience with children at shelters in Multan, Faisalabad and Lahore, she concluded that children coming from homes where parents and elders are selfish and merciless usually end up on streets. She recalled cases of several runaway children who could not live a normal life after going back to their homes.
Street exposure is extremely damaging she said and gave her organization’s child helpline number ‘1121’.
Article 11 of the Constitution of Pakistan prohibits slavery, forced labour and trafficking. The Employment of Children Act 1991 is widely recognised and was re-enacted by the Punjab Legislature in 2011. Many other articles defining the rights of a Pakistani child are in place. However a reference to the statutes in the PPC and international treaties the State is signatory to, are irrelevant, as Javed was a victim of three major violations of law, including involuntary servitude a punishable offence and one of the worst forms of child labour.
Will law bring Javed’s trafficker aunt to task? Will his employer be apprehended and punished? Javed wants Masi Kauser punished for leaving him with his employer and making him undergo pain and humiliation. He knows that he has been wronged, but does not know who will redress it. Will the state react? Or is it looking for a case similar to Shazia Masih of Lahore.
According to Javed, he was trafficked to Rawalpindi from Okara two years ago by his aunt, who brought him to the home of his employers and left the same day. He knew that he was being taken for work. But he did not know that his work would be so dirty and difficult. He was also unaware that his work will be unpaid until his employer told him so. “Baji said that she has given money to Masi Kauser for the work I will be doing,” he recalled without any emotion.
Even if Javed, understood that he was sold off he was too weak to get out of labour bondage. He was at the mercy of his purchasers who strictly forbade him from stepping out of the house. For two years Javed was confined to his master’s home. He slept alone in a servant quarter on the top floor of the house. At night the room was locked from outside for security reasons, he narrated.
Responding to a question, if he felt lonely and isolated he kept quiet for a while and said ‘no’. Giving details of the incident that led to his escape Javed said that on Friday morning he cleaned and mopped the house but his work was unsatisfactory and enraged his employer who beat him with a wooden stick. She used to shout and hit for working slowly or doing a task badly. “I wanted to run away earlier l but did not know how.”
The same evening Javed got a chance to escape from captivity. He saw the gate unlocked and suddenly gathered courage to get out of the house. He did and ran towards the forested green area falling and tripping, over the railings and barbed fences of the unknown territory. Luckily the weeping boy was spotted by Rozi Khan, a local gardener. The God fearing man sheltered him in his hut for the night and connected him, to the Child Protection Centre, Morgah. “I feel very sorry for him and pray that he unites with his family,” Rozi Khan told this scribe.
Javed is not sure if he wants to go back to his family in Okara. “Can’t I stay here?” he inquires from Mohammad Waseem, the protection officer at the Child Protection Bureau. The officer informed that the majority of children picked from streets are not willing to go home. They prefer staying at the facility where they get decent meals, washed clothes, a bed to sleep and games to play. And above all they are not forced to earn money for their families, “Poverty is no excuse for irresponsible parenting,” says Saadia Manzoor, the facility manager.
Sharing her experience with children at shelters in Multan, Faisalabad and Lahore, she concluded that children coming from homes where parents and elders are selfish and merciless usually end up on streets. She recalled cases of several runaway children who could not live a normal life after going back to their homes.
Street exposure is extremely damaging she said and gave her organization’s child helpline number ‘1121’.
Article 11 of the Constitution of Pakistan prohibits slavery, forced labour and trafficking. The Employment of Children Act 1991 is widely recognised and was re-enacted by the Punjab Legislature in 2011. Many other articles defining the rights of a Pakistani child are in place. However a reference to the statutes in the PPC and international treaties the State is signatory to, are irrelevant, as Javed was a victim of three major violations of law, including involuntary servitude a punishable offence and one of the worst forms of child labour.
Will law bring Javed’s trafficker aunt to task? Will his employer be apprehended and punished? Javed wants Masi Kauser punished for leaving him with his employer and making him undergo pain and humiliation. He knows that he has been wronged, but does not know who will redress it. Will the state react? Or is it looking for a case similar to Shazia Masih of Lahore.
