If we don't protect our children, who will: Nadia Jamil condemns minor home worker's death

In this week's horrific news, two underage domestic workers were brutally beaten in the defence area of Lahore on Tuesday. As a result, 11-year-old Kamran succumbed to the injuries while his brother seven-year-old Rizwan was reported as seriously injured. The outrage on social media was noteworthy and actor Nadia Jamil's condemnation of the heinous act aptly highlighted the deep-rooted issue of child domestic labour in our society. 

Taking to Instagram, Jamil shared an emotional video where she shed light on the ordeal of kids who have been victims of child labour. "Shattered," the actor shared. "It has just been reported by BBC Urdu that Mohammad Kamran, age 11 and his six-year-old brother, were domestic labourers in a house in Defence Phase 3, Lahore. Caught taking food from the fridge because they were hungry, they were beaten and tortured to the point that 11-year-old Kamran is dead. His six-year-old brother [is] critical in hospital. I can hear their screams. Their screams won’t let me sleep in peace."

Recalling a similar, old case, Jamil went on to add, "A few years ago, a similar case of a little girl called Uzma was reported. I remember tweeting, posting begging for her killers to be punished but they were freed by paying blood money. I humbly appeal to Pakistan and the world to make sure that the murderers of children are punished. Children are the most vulnerable amongst us. We are all responsible for every child on our planet. We are the adults. We make the rules, if those rules cannot protect our children then what kind of adults are we?"

The actor then relayed how child labouring is rather common in Pakistan. "Children look to adults for protection. Yet so many rot in domestic labour, begging, in prostitution," she further wrote. "I beg every human being reading this to raise a voice to ensure justice for Kamran. Kamran stands for every little boy/girl being tortured, beaten, neglected and starved right now. If not now then when?"

She commented, "How many children have to die before our united voice wakes up. Whatever party you vote for, or don’t vote for, these children belong to us! All of us, across political ideologies, across culture, religion, nation, borders need to stand up to protect these beautiful little people, who don’t stand a chance to survive, without our voice protecting them."

Concluding the note, Jamil remarked, "If I have to keep asking everyone alone - I will. But I know I am not alone. I know millions of Pakistanis and non-Pakistanis want to protect children, across the globe. I know you will raise a voice for Justice For Kamran."

Jamil also shared several threads on child abuse and labour on her official Twitter account. In a tweet, she shared pictures of her four sons and shared how one of them was once child labour. "These are my four sons," the actor wrote alongside the picture.

"Sabir is studying to be an engineer in the army. He was a slave labourer at a brick factory at the age of four when I met him. He now gives motivational talks about his journey, from unpaid slavery to engineering and singing! Every single child should see goals turn to the outcome."

In one more tweet, she added, "It’s an adult's job to get and keep a child in school. If can’t raise them, we shouldn’t have them. If my son was not motivated, my job [is] to work with him on his motivation. We need to spread parenting awareness, in an increasingly global, competitive world, every child should learn!"

In another tweet, she shared, "This should be spread so people hiring children feel embarrassed and ashamed. People who hire children are criminals and children who send their underage children to work are criminals. A state that ignores its constitution, which states all kids above have to be in school, is criminal."

The two minors from Karachi had been working for a year in the house of a citizen named Nasrullah.

Police said both the children were tortured by the employer's family and were transferred to a local hospital only after their conditions had deteriorated. The law enforcement authorities were subsequently contacted by the hospital staff, who had made the call upon noticing the severity of their conditions.

Nasrullah, his wife Shabana and son Mahmood have been detained by the police on charges of torture, while his other son Abul Hassan and daughter-in-law Hina managed to escape and are currently being pursued by the police.

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