The government should devise an effective mechanism for the implementation of child laws.
SIALKOT: Children are considered the future of a nation. Today, the future of our nation is caught in a rut at bangle factories, carpet factories, shops and hotels in inhuman conditions for survival. Deplorably, the government is insensitive to the issue and is busy making bridges and roads, which largely benefit the rich.
I have personally visited small industrial units in Sialkot where children make surgical instruments without any health precaution for a meagre salary. University cafeterias and small hotels usually hire small children as the latter are forced to work at lower wages for more hours. There are numerous reasons for the rampant child labour. Firstly, poverty has forced parents to send their children for work as they cannot afford to educate them and even educated people are jobless. Secondly, the failure of the government to implement laws relating to children is responsible for the sheer exploitation of the latter. Lastly, the employers find children as cheap labour to maximise their profits.
Violation of child laws has not only darkened the future of Pakistan but is also creating economic problems as the employment of children as labourers leaves fewer opportunities for adults. Moreover, the inhuman environment in which they work can jeopardise their lives and may cause severe health problems. Mistreatment of children at workplaces make them vulnerable to psychological problems leading them to drugs and crimes in the last resort to escape from the miserable conditions.
The government should take the responsibility of saving the future of Pakistan by investing its efforts and resources for the betterment of children. The government should devise an effective mechanism for the implementation of child laws. New laws, related to all kinds of child abuses that are not covered by existing laws, should also be introduced and the violation of such laws should be declared a serious crime. Furthermore, the government should invest money in attracting the parents to send their children to schools by giving monthly allowance to the poor children so that they cease to be a burden on their parents.
Advocate Tayyab Butt
Published in The Express Tribune, July 20th, 2014.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
