Children are assets for a better and brighter future of Pakistan and the " media should play a vital role in making this dream true". This view was expressed by speakers at a one-day capacity-building workshop to sensitise the media persons about the child labour issues in the country.
The workshop was organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Minister of state for Information Tariq Azim said that child labour existed because of lack of public awareness and poverty. He said parents are not ready to send their children to schools, as they do not want to lose their earning hands.
Stressing on the effective role of media he asked the media to play its due role to make people aware of their loss. It is media, which highlighted the issue of children's use as 'camel jockey' in UAE.
The government has saved the lives of 615 boys (age of 4 years) who had been brought back from UAE, he added. The government has framed a law in collaboration with Unicef and UAE for the banishment of such use. He invited the civil society and media to give practical suggestions.
Expressing his views, on the occasion, Senior Research officer, Ministry of Labour Iftikhar Javed said that the last survey of child labour was undertaken 11 years ago. The 1996 survey by the Federal Bureau of Statistics, showed that there were 3.3 million child workers in the country.
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