Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Monday said that the bright future of the nation is interlinked with the eradication of the menace of Child Labour. In a message on the occasion of International Child Labor Day, which is celebrated across the world on June, 12 every year under the auspices of the United Nations, he said, that each child should be given the opportunity for standardized education by eliminating all kinds of forced labor, mental and physical abuse, especially against children from society. He also stressed on the need to take special initiatives to protect children from the menace of child labour.
The Speaker said that forced labor from children is tantamount to compromise and destroying their childhood as they are deprived of what is essential for development. The speaker said that the constitution guarantees the protection of children’s rights and under the constitution, it is the responsibility of the government to provide facilities for children from 5 to 16 years to avail the opportunity for getting free education. He said that Pakistan being a signatory of the International Convention for the Protection of Children should strictly adhere to international greements to protect children from labour.
He also pointed out that according to Pakistani laws taking forced labor from children is a punishable offence.
