Ending child labour: ‘All children at kilns to be enrolled in schools’

Shahbaz visits Jiya Bagga village to review situation at brick kilns

LAHORE:

The government will take all steps, including financial support, to ensure that all children working at brick kilns are enrolled at schools, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Tuesday.

He was addressing a group of villagers and kiln workers in Jiya Bagga village, 33 kilometers from Lahore. The CM had arrived there by helicopter to review implementation of the decisions regarding elimination of child labour from brick kilns.



Talking to the chief minister, Muhammad Amin, an 80-year-old man, said that Shahbaz Sharif was the first political leader who had taken practical steps for eliminating child labour from brick kilns. He said that the chief minister had moved to protect the next generation from being condemned to poverty.

The chief minister expressed anger on seeing a 13-year-old boy working at one of the kilns and reprimanded the owner.

“He should be studying at a Daanish School, instead of working at the brick kiln,” he said. The chief minister expressed the hope that the use of force would not be needed and the brick kiln owners would facilitate the education of children.

“No one will be allowed to mortgage these children for loans. I will not rest content until every child working at brick kilns has been enrolled at a school.



The schooling of these children is a national cause. The government has allocated millions of rupees for this purpose,” he said.

The chief minister said that besides giving a monthly scholarship of Rs1,000 to every child going to school, the government would also bear their educational expenses. “Free uniform, textbooks and stationery will be provided to these children. Transport will also be provided to children living far from schools,” he said.

Malaysian envoy calls on CM: Malaysian High Commissioner to Pakistan Dr Hasrul Sani Bin Mujtabar met the chief minister on Tuesday. Matters of mutual interest, bilateral relations and promotion of cooperation in various sectors were discussed on the occasion.

The two leaders agreed to promote economic and trade relations especially cooperation in livestock, agriculture and halal food sectors between Malaysia and Pakistan. “There are strong brotherly relations between Pakistan and Malaysia. There is room for further increasing cooperation in livestock, halal food, energy, minerals, infrastructure and agriculture sectors.

Malaysia has made remarkable progress in the past decade. It is a role model for developing countries,” he said.

He said that maximum facilities were being provided to foreign investors in the province. “Malaysian investors should invest in the Punjab. All incentives and facilities will be provided to them.

Exchange of trade delegations between Pakistan and Malaysia will help in promotion of economic ties,” he said.

The Malaysian high commissioner said that Pakistan was an important trading partner of Malaysia’s. “Our government wants to further strengthen trade relations with Pakistan. Malaysian investors also want to benefit from investment opportunities in Pakistan, especially in the Punjab,” he said.

He appreciated the chief minister’s services for the masses.

He said that the government was taking effective measures for the promotion of investment in the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th,  2016.