Hard work and no play

According to Article 11(3) of the constitution, “ no child below the age of fourteen years shall be engaged in any factory or mine or any other hazardous employment.” The International Labour Organization defines child labour as the work that has potential to deprive children of their rights, their dignity; is also harmful for their physical, moral and mental development and it interferes with their education. In Pakistan, the situation is quite gruesome when we see children working from dawn to dusk. They work extra hard to earn enough money to feed their families. They are not even aware of their rights. They don’t know that they have a right to education.
Many laws have been passed to fight this menace from our society. However, none of these laws have been implemented. No action is taken against institutions which save money by employing children on low salaries. The government should take remedial measures to fight this curse. Strict actions should be taken against those who hire children. Anyone found guilty of violating the law should be fined or even arrested. Children deserve to live a happy and stress-free life. They should not be robbed of their childhood at a young age.
Fahad Dharejo (Khairpur)