Child labour is an intricate issue especially for developing countries like Pakistan where there is no protection for people’s rights, leave alone children’s rights.
Child labour today represents the largest single cause of child abuse across the globe. It is a sort of deluge that is draining away our precious talent to be utilized in right place. Most of it takes place in economically less developed countries, and much is hidden. Of the total number of child labourers in Pakistan, majority of them are employed in agricultural occupations.
In urban settings, children are employed in more diversified occupations such as loading and unloading of goods, hotels and restaurants, fishing, auto workshops, rag picking, shoe-shining, begging, etc.
These little angels endure miserable and difficult lives. They earn little and struggle to make enough to feed themselves and their families. They do not go to school; more than half of them are unable to learn the barest skills of literacy. The unrelenting poverty forces the parents to push their young children in all forms of hazardous occupations as it is a source of income to them.
In Pakistan you can easily find out little children who are wandering here and there, picking garbage, walking through each and every door to find out their better destiny. It pushes them into a bad company and immoral activities such as use of drugs, crime. For killing all of their grief, they are drinking their own tears.
They are not willing to live this miserable life, absolutely they want to change it for good, they want to change their destiny, but unfortunately they are waiting for a change. Of course, a better morning, a bright start. Is it possible? There is strict need to stop child Labour in this country. Awareness must be raised and the attention of parents ought to be diverted to the education of their children. Child Labour Laws should be put into practice strictly.
In addition, the educational system of the country-must be reshaped and restructured according to national development goals. If we succeed to act upon these principles, our country can easily get rid of this problem i.e. child Labour. Child labour is an international evil. It requires cumulative efforts to wipe it out. Toiling long hours for a pittance, these little breadwinners accept exploitation as a way of life.
Nothing can eradicate child labour unless there is awareness among parents and children, which will go a long way in saving the future of millions of working children in Pakistan. Lastly, instead of blaming the “supply side”, we must focus on the “demand side”.
FARWA LIAQUAT
Karachi
