Children, childhood is for learning don’t use their childhood for earning”. Child labour refers to a crime, where early aged children are forced to work. About 7 million of Pakistani children are engaged in child labour. Apart from aging (6-13) years children working in work shop, hotels, brick klins, Carpets factories. Prominent reason of child labour in Pakistan is poverty, weak economy, and unemployment. Income inequalities, unmonitored national & international legislative laws and agreements.
There is wide range of consequent effects of child labour on society overall and in particular to affect a child, especially lack of a normal childhood and its pleasant memories, financial slavery, physical, psychological and/or sexual abuse, inadequate nutrition leading to possibly high rates of diseases or small statures.
Somalia, Eriteria, Republic Congo, Myanmar, Sudan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Yamen are top ten countries where child labour is most prevalent. Many implications follow child labour, but most importantly, it jeopardizes children’s health. Children often work with dangerous machinery and are exposed to harmful chemicals, they work long and strenuous hours with little or no regard for their education and mental health. Slavery, Child trafficking, debt bondage forced labour, children in armed conflict and children working in illegal activities are considered to be some of the worst forms of child labour.
Islam has prohibited from imposing more work on children, which they don’t have power to do.
“Allah does not delegate any hurtful responsibility to anyone, which is beyond his ability, (Surah Al Baqra) the Prophet Muhammad (saw) is reported to have said “Your employees are your brothers, upon whom Allah has given you authority”.
The Fourth Imam, Ali Ibne Hussain, Zain-Ul-Abedeen said. “The right of your child is that you know he has emerged from you in this world, his right and wrong are all attributed to you. You are responsible of his fine teaching and training, guiding him to his “Lord” Almighty and Glorious and assisting him to obey Him”.
The Government of Pakistan in Committed to eliminate child labour culture from the nation. Government has rectified core international Labor organization (I.L.O) conventions regarding age limit for labour. It is reflected in Article 11-3 of the constitution of Pakistan as “No child below the age of 14 years shall be engaged in any factory, or mine or any other hazardous employment”. Similar safeguards have been provided in Article 37 of constitution. A huge number of children work as servants in private houses across Pakistan. The average age of these children is around 15 years. Unlike children working in factories and workshops etc. Children working in houses have marginally better domestic life. However domestic violence cases are rapidly increasing.
For example, an N.G.O recorded 100 incidents of domestic voilence, resulting 8 deaths in 2013. Health minister of Punjab Dr. Javed Akram, while talking to media, about the girl Nazima a recent victim of domestic voilence by a magistrate’s wife. Said that “90 percent cases of domestic violence are not even reported”. One of the reasons for non-reporting of such domestic violence is the influential Elite class that suppress such issues and subsume dealing authorities through bribe or any other unfair means. Most of the time, such incidents go unnoticed until some irrevocable incident of cruelty resulting death occurs, causing unrest in the society.
However, this 70 percent labour force consisted of women and children contributes billions RS in economy of Pakistan. But their labour is not counted in any economic trade/volume. They are always labelled as informal Economy. They spend their lives quietly facing all the hardships and miseries. Perhaps government and the elite class do not want them to cross the red line of poverty.
As they are afraid to loose such a cheap and obedient labour force.