Children are the most precious gift of Allah and the future of any nation, so the nations who want to be a developed one in the future always try their best to facilitate their children.
Child labour is a serious crime all over the world. UNICEF defines child labour as some type of work performed by children below the age of 18.
The number of child labourers in Pakistan is from eight to ten million. Only the last year the Federal Bureau of Statistics released the result of its survey that 3.8 million children of age group 5-14 years are working in Pakistan out of a total 40 million children.
Almost 50 percent of these economically active children are in the age group of 5 to 9 years. Even out of these 3.8 million children, 2.7 million were claimed to be working in the agricultural sector. Two million and four hundred thousand (73%) of them were said to be boys.
The government of Pakistan has made primary education a basic right for everyone. But we all know that action speaks louder than words. The government should supply free books and other relevant materials to government schools and should bring them at par with private schools.
The government should take strict notice of child labour as well and take some strict action against those responsible so that the future of Pakistan could be saved and educated.
ZAIN ABRAR KHAN
Lahore
