Govt has taken steps to eliminate child labour: PM
ISLAMABAD, June 13 2006: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on May 12 said the government has taken measures in an effect to eradicate child labour from the country by providing children with free education and other basic necessities. He stated this while addressing children from different schools at Parliament House on the International Day against Child Labour.
The prime minister said the Ministry of Social Welfare, Ministry of Labour and Manpower and other government departments had launched vigorous campaigns against child labour. He said efforts were being made to ensure better future for these children, which included education. He said education was an important asset for the progress and prosperity of a nation. Therefore, the government had been concentrating on the promotion of educational facilities in the country. He said special incentives were being given to those families who could not afford to educate their children.
The prime minister said the government has been implementing all the conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), particularly those relating to child protection, child labour and rights of children. He said a national plan of action had been finalised by the government to fight poverty and child labour. The federal and provincial governments had opened special schools where, with the cooperation of NGOs and other organisations like Baitul Maal, free education was being provided to children who could not afford it.
He advised the children to study with dedication, honesty, hard work and commitment following the golden principles of ‘unity, faith and discipline’ of the Quaid-e-Azam. The prime minister appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Social Welfare, Baitul Maal and NGOs for providing free education to children who could not afford it. He also distributed Rs 500 among the children.
Ghulam Sarwar Khan, federal minister for labour and manpower, Zobaida Jalal, minister for social welfare, Dong Lin Li, country director ILO, Noor Saghir Khan, additional secretary ministry of social welfare and special education, and Brig (r) Muhammad Sarfraz, Pakistan Baitul Maal managing director, were also present on the occasion.
Sixty students from the National Centre for Rehabilitation for Child Labour of the Baitul Maal attended the function. Baitul Maal at present runs 124 educational centres where 13,000 students were being educated. The number of these centres would be increased to 150 by end of June to facilitate over 18,000 deserving students. Baitul Maal provides the students with uniform, books and a daily allowance of Rs 10 besides giving Rs 300 to the families of the students for continuation of their education. The students also presented copies of the UN charter on child labour and rights of children to the prime minister. APP
Source: Daily Times
Date:6/13/2006
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