World Day against Child Labour observed

Islamabad (Web Desk): World Day against the Child Labour is being observed across the globe including today (Thursday).

The theme of the day this year is “Progress is clear, but there's more to do: let's speed up efforts!”

The purpose of observing the day is to grab attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ending child labour and ensuring a brighter future for every child.

In their messages on World Day against Child Labour today (Thursday), they urged the government institutions, civil society and media to take practical steps to end child labour.

President Zardari called for united efforts and synergies that can help dismantle the systems that exploit children and create a Pakistan and a world where every child is free to dream, learn, and build a brighter future.

“Pakistan, as a signatory to various international conventions aimed at eliminating child labour, is fully committed to ending the exploitation of children,” the President said.

In his message PM Shehbaz emphasized the importance of the key role of the federal and provincial governments, the private sector, educational institutions, media and civil society to prevent and completely eradicate child labour from society.

He said this year’s theme “Progress is clear, but there’s more to do: let’s speed up efforts!” highlights that while progress has been made, much more remains to be done.

The prime minister underscored that children growing up in developing countries are most affected by the scourge of child labour.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said that in today's era, incidents of child labour are a tragedy for humanity.

In her message on World Day against Child Labour, the Punjab CM said that children should be holding pens, books and laptops in their hands rather than tools and bricks.

“We envision a Punjab where every child will gain knowledge, instead of doing labour to shape the future of the nation,” CM Maryam said.