Speakers at seminar express zero tolerance for child labour

HARIPUR: Speakers at seminar here on Monday said there was zero tolerance for the child labour and the government was regularly monitoring the commercial and industrial concerns of Hazara division for that.

The seminar titled Trafficking in Person Act 2018 was arranged by the Labour Department here the Haripur Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Human Rights Muhammad Abid said due to multiple reasons including the poverty, the Pakistan’s role in ending the scourge of child labour has been under question internationally.

He urged the industrialists to contribute their efforts in strengthening the national economy and that was only possible when the international commitments pertaining to human rights were fulfilled.

The official said the European Union has allowed Pakistani products in the European markets by granting the status of GSP Plus, is once again going to review the progress in this regard in November this year and it was high time for the manufacturing industry to help Pakistan continued to avail the status of GSP plus by helping the government to end the child labour.

He said for making the export-based economy more strong, an uninterrupted access of Pakistani products to European markets is imperative and directly linked to the extension of GSP plus status from the European Union that requires Pakistan to honour the international human rights treaties and end to child labour is one of them.

Deputy Director Labour Faizullah said that during the last one year at least 85 cases of child labour were reported and prosecuted in the Labour Court. He said that there was zero tolerance for the child labour and his department was regularly monitoring the commercial and industrial concerns.

The official urged the industrialists to extend their cooperation in fulfillment of international obligations.

Assistant Director Labour Tariq Mehmood Qureshi gave a detailed presentation on the Anti Trafficking in Person Act 2018 and oriented the audience about the causes of Trafficking in Person, impacts on children and society.

Syed Safdar Zaman Shah members Executive Council SAARC Chamber, Tayab Swati president of the Haripur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sajid Naseem and Fida Khan were prominent among those who spoke and assured that the business and industrial community were abiding by the law and literally refused hiring the children below 18 years of age.