“CHILD LABOR”
Child Labour is, generally speaking, work for children that harm them or exploits them in some way (Physically, Mentally, or by blocking access to Education). It is the work that exceeds a minimum number of hours depending on the age of a child and on the type of work. Child labor comes in many forms. Many children work at swamp sites, cut rocks, work in low budget factories, car workshops or as a coolie in railway stations. Others work as prostitutes or domestic slaves.
Child labour is a bitter truth of Pakistan and unfortunately it prevails in many forms in the country. Pakistan is in the top list of countries where child labour is common. On the other side, ILO and UNICEF say that all work done by children can’t be classified as child labor. So, it is very important to differentiate child labor and child work. If work is not harming the health, personal development and education of child then this type of work cannot be taken in a negative way and doesn’t include in child labor. For example, taking part in family business, part-time job or work in holidays. These activities can be termed as ‘Child Work’ and it is very important for the personal development of a child. It provides them extra skills of working that can be helpful in future.
Poverty is the greatest cause of child labor. A middle-class person earns $6 a day in Pakistan and he has to feed nine to ten people daily. The main cause of child labor is the low quality of education, lack of jobs and lack of progress in the region. The drop out rate in Pakistan is high than literacy rate. It is due to the lack of proper education. Education is too much expensive so that the poor children cannot afford these expenses. Their parents have to feed them within a low range of money. These are the main causes of child labor.
Government is doing nothing with this issue. There are many laws prohibiting child labor but universally they are being ignored. Let’s have a look on the constitutional provisions pertaining to child labor.
- Article 11(3): No child below the age of 14 years shall be engaged in any factory or mine or any other hazardous employment.
- Article 25(A): The state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children under the age of 5 to sixteen years in such manner as determined by law.
In Pakistan penal code section 328 and 374, the person who forces a child to do work should face 5 to 6 years of imprisonment. Child labor is not only an immoral process but the murder of dreams of the innocent children. These children are the future of Pakistan. Where is ‘Roshan Pakistan’ or ‘Naya Pakistan’? It shows us the ‘Dark Pakistan’ in future.
In our Islami Jamhooriya Pakistan, a child has to do work because his father took the loan from a factory and died before paying the amount. A child is not a slave. He is our future.
Developing or developed countries are successful because they know the value of education and health. Health and education are the two main parts of a child’s future. If Education and health of a child is good, he would do something big in future for his nation. To be honest, our politicians don’t have any interest in public affairs.
The orphan children are working as a prostitute in prostitution to feed themselves. In Lahore’s famous Heera Mandi (Prostitution), many children are working and nobody is raising a voice or doing something to ban this prostitution. The question is ‘Why’? Because our representatives are involved in it.
This should be stopped before it’s too late. Islam is also against Child Labour. Being a Muslim and a Pakistani, we have to do something for this major issue.
“Child labor perpetuates poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, population
growth and other social problems.”
-Kailash Satyart
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