Every kiln child to be enrolled in school: CM

Pays surprise visit to kiln; snubs owner for employing 13-year-old

LAHORE

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif paid a visit to village Jiya Bagga, 33 kilometers from Lahore, without any prior intimation and landed his helicopter near a brick-kiln.

The purpose of the surprise visit of the chief minister was to review implementation of the decisions regarding elimination of child labour from brick-kilns. He reviewed the situation at three different brick-kilns of the village for several hours and also talked to the labourers over there. 

Talking to the chief minister, the kiln workers said that the decision of Pakistan Muslim League-N government to rid the children of labour at kilns and give them a monthly scholarship of Rs1,000 and a stipend of Rs2,000 to their parents was a poor-friendly step. They said that it would also change the destiny of their families and save them from the oppressive system. 

The chief minister expressed strong indignation at seeing a 13-year-old boy Muhammad Danish working at a brick-kiln and reprimanded the owner.

He said that Muhammad Danish should have been studying in Danish School instead of working at the kiln. He expressed the hope that use of force would not be needed and the brick-kiln owners would help in the education of children as they are future of the nation. He said that no one would be allowed to mortgage these children in return for advance payment. 

Shahbaz Sharif announced complete financial support to the children working at brick-kilns and said that he would not rest content until every child working at brick kilns was enrolled in school. He said that educating these children was a national cause and the Punjab government had allocated crores of rupees for this purpose.

He said that the all-out funds would be provided for the education of these children. He said besides giving a monthly scholarship of Rs1,000 to every child going to school, the government would also bear his educational expenses.

He said that free-of-cost uniform, textbooks and stationery would also be provided to these children while transport facility would be extended to the children of remote areas. He said that a sum of Rs2,000 would be given to the parents of the children going to school. Brick-kiln workers and the people of the village expressed pleasant surprise at seeing the chief minister among them and raised the slogans of ‘Shahbaz Sharif Zindabad’. 

arrest: On the direction of  Shahbaz Sharif, his Personal Staff Officer for Law and Order Haji Muhammad Nawaz Malik held successful dialogues with the heirs of two brothers murdered in Samanabad.

Haji Nawaz Malik assured provision of justice and early arrest of the accused on behalf of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on which heirs ended their protest.

He said that the chief minister had issued special directions that the accused should be arrested at the earliest and taken to task and provision of justice to the affected family be ensured at every cost.