Children are the most precious gift of Allah and the future of any nation. Any nation that wants to be a developed one in the future should try its best to facilitate its children. Child labour is a serious crime all over the world. The number of child labourers in Pakistan is from 8 to 10 million.
According to a survey of the Federal Bureau of Statistics, 3.8 million children of age group of 5-14 years are working in Pakistan out of a total of 40 million children.
Some 50 percent of these economically active children are in the age group of 5 to 9 years. Out of these 3.8 million children, 2.7 million are working in the agricultural sector. Two million and four hundred thousand (73 percent) of them are boys.
The government of Pakistan has made primary education compulsory for everyone but we all know that action speaks louder than words. The government should supply free books to the government schools and should bring government schools comparative to private schools so that education equality becomes standard.
The government should take notice of child labour as well and take some strict action against those responsible so that the future of Pakistan could be saved.
FARYAL RASHEED
Karachi
