Minister of State for Law Shahadat Awan on Wednesday informed the National Assembly that the government sealed 36 brick kilns in the Islamabad capital territory (ICT) on violation of child labour laws besides registering cases against the violators.
Replying to various supplementary questions during Question Hour, the minister said that although labour welfare including labour legislation was now a devolved subject after 18th constitutional amendments but currently various laws enforced to stop child labour. He said the laws which were enforced in ICT included the Factories Act, 1934, the Shops and establishments Ordinance, 1969, the Employment of Children Act, 1991, Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1992 and Employment of Children Rules, 1995.
Similarly, Punjab Prohibition of Child Labour at Brick Kilns Act 2016, the Punjab Restriction on Employment Children Act, 2016, the Prevention of Trafficking in persons Act, 2018, the Sindh Prohibition of Employment of Children Act, 2017, the Sindh Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 2015, the Sindh Factories Act, 2015, the Sindh Commercial Establishment Act, 2015, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Prohibition of Employment of Children Rules, 2015 and Balochistan Employment of Children (Prohibition Regulation) Act, 2021 were enforced in the provinces, he said.
The minister said inspection teams at provincial level regularly conducted raids and not only registered cases but also imposed fine against the violators of laws. Meanwhile,The National Assembly was informed on Wednesday that the FIA has been taking action against those involved in human smuggling. Minister of State for Law Shahadat Awan told the house during question hour that four hundred and seventy human smugglers were arrested over the last four years. He said action has also been taken against those travelling on fake documents. He said legislation has been done to punish human traffickers as well as safeguard the rights of victims. He said we are also strengthening international cooperation to curb the menace of human smuggling. The Minister of State for Law said that Eagle Squad has been established in the Federal Capital Territory on the pattern of the Dolphin Force in Punjab to control the crime rate. He said there is considerable reduction in the crime rate in Islamabad after the establishment of Eagle Squad. Meanwhile, the National Assembly passed Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Amendment Bill 2023 and Press Council of Pakistan Amendment Bill 2023. The bills were moved by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb. Other bills that were passed on Wednesday included Apostille Bill 2023, The Gas Theft Control and Recovery Amendment Bill 2023, the Zakat and Ushr Amendment Bill 2023, Quaid-e-Azam.
