Dawn
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12:45 Jun 12, 2025
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday urged parents and employers to make joint efforts to eliminate child labour, as the country observed World Day Against Child Labour. Over 12.5 million children in Pakistan are involved in child labour, according to the Child Rights Movement (CRM) National Secretariat. One in four households in Pakistan employed a child for domestic work, often in hazardous conditions, as per the International Labour Organisation (ILO). According to a provincial survey, working children accounted for 11.1 per cent of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s child population. According to a statement from the President’s House, President Zardari, in his message, called for efforts to protect children from exploitation, expressing hope for a future where children could “learn, play, and grow in a safe and dignified environment”. Stressing the need for collective action by governments, the president urged employers to “strictly follow child labour laws and ensure that their wor...