The National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) Sargodha, in collaboration with the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) and the People’s Social Welfare Society, organized a seminar at the E-Library Sports Complex on Wednesday to highlight the urgency of eradicating child labor.
Seminar on child labor awareness held
SARGODHA, Jun 10 (APP): The National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) Sargodha, in collaboration with the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) and the People’s Social Welfare Society, organized a seminar at the E-Library Sports Complex on Wednesday to highlight the urgency of eradicating child labor.
The event was attended by Deputy Director NCHD Mahr Umar Daraz Jhaveri, District Officer CPWB Syed Ali Abid Naqvi, Divisional Sports Officer Nadeem Anjum, Incharge People’s Social Welfare Society Abdul Manan Chaudhry, Assistant Director Education NCHD Asif Ali Tarar, and a large number of students from the University of Sargodha.
Addressing the participants, Asif Ali Tarar stated that the primary objective of observing the global day against child labor is to sensitize the public about this social evil and encourage proactive measures for its elimination.
Abdul Manan Chaudhry noted that due to ineffective legislation and inadequate measures, the number of child laborers in Pakistan has exceeded 20 million, with Punjab province alone showing a child labor rate of 14 percent.
He urged the government to formulate comprehensive planning to address the escalating crisis.
The District Officer CPWB Syed Ali Abid Naqvi remarked that approximately 20 million school-going aged children are currently out of school in Pakistan, with an estimated 10 million forced into child labor.
He emphasized that the responsibility lies with the government and all stakeholders to improve access to education, enforce labor laws, and tackle economic vulnerabilities.
The Deputy Director NCHD Mehr Umar Daraz Jhaveri stressed the need for a unified national strategy, highlighting that under Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan, the state is responsible for providing free and compulsory education to all children aged five to 16. He further noted that population control and effective family planning are essential to combat the poverty driving the increase in child labor.
The Divisional Sports Officer Nadeem Anjum added that the exploitation of children for labor robs them of their childhood and basic right to education, often subjecting them to harsh environments for minor mistakes. The seminar concluded with an awareness walk led by the participants to advocate for the rights of the children.
