ISLAMABAD: This is with reference to Syed Mohammad Ali’s article “Is hiring children as domestic workers okay?” (September 13). This was a good opinion piece on child domestic labour (CDL) by the writer at a time when little space is given to such issues on opinion pages or prime time talk shows.
Data and case studies from the past two and a half years clearly indicate that child domestic labour is one of the worst forms of child labour. I am in complete favour of putting an immediate ban on child domestic labour under the schedule of banned occupations in the Employment of Children Act of 1991 at the national level and under the Employment of Children Amendment Act of 2011 for Punjab. Having said this, I believe that it will not be possible to eliminate child labour or child domestic labour to be specific with policing only. We need to create awareness and must take certain steps like debating on this topic in the mainstream and social media.
An important and proven strategy could be the proper implementation of Article 25A of the Constitution, which is about the right to free and compulsory education for all children between the ages of five and 16 years. Immediate legislation for the effective implementation of Article 25A with solid budgetary allocation and political will can help minimise, if not eliminate child, labour from Pakistan.
Arshad Mahmood
Published in The Express Tribune, September 15th, 2012.
