Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) has established 150 National Centres for Rehabilitation of Child Labour (NCRCL) to eliminate child labour in the country.
This was stated by Managing Director, PBM, Brigadier Muhammad Sarfraz (Retd) while addressing to the participants of National Tripartite Consultation on "Child Domestic Labour" (CDL) organised jointly by the Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education and International Labour Organisation (ILO) here on Thursday.
Director, National Commission for Child Welfare and Development (NCCWD) Hussan Mangi and other senior officials and representatives from Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education, ILO and NGOs were also present.
The main objective was to finalise the activity of the International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour Project entitled "Preventing and Eliminating Exploitative Child Domestic Labour through Education and Training".
Speaking on the occasion, Brigadier Muhammad Sarfraz (Retd) said that PBM, a body working under the Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education, is committed to provide the basic necessities of life such as shelter, food, education and healthcare facilities.
About NCRCL, he said, National Centres for Rehabilitation of Child Labour have been established countrywide since 1995. Managing Director PBM said that 134 NCRCL are functioning across the country while the rest will be operated by October. Over 18,000 students are benefiting from education in these institutes.
He said, children between the age of 5 to 14 years are enrolled in these centres. He said the National Policy and Plan of Action on child labour focus on the immediate elimination of worst and most hazardous forms of child labour. He informed that "We have taken a number of steps to educate people about child labour."
Director NCCWD, Hassan Mangi said that Ministry of Social Welfare has responsibility to ensure child welfare and development in the light of various international commitments made by the government. He said a National Plan of Action for Children has been prepared by the Ministry through a participatory process.
He said we are also working with the Civil Society Organisation on awareness raising campaigns and bringing the child domestic workers in mainstream. Hassan Mangi said National Child Protection Centre has been approved and funded by the government to be established in the capital to provide shelter home services for runaway, street, lost and kidnapped children, adding, legal aid and helpline services will be also provided to the children victim of violence.
After this, he said we have a planned to set up such kind of centres in each district of the country for the welfare of deserving and needy children.
These centres will also provide education and healthcare facilities to the poor, working and street-children who are unable to get education.