Punjab Minister for Labour, Muhammad Ashraf Khan Sohna has said that the Province has 600,000 registered labourers and only 24,000 of their children go to schools. Talking to newsmen on Friday he said that all out efforts were being made to prevent the practice of bonded labour like kiln workers to implement the charter of International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Sohna said all the jobs of the Labour Department would be given to the labourers' children. The Minister informed newsmen that about 9.5 million people from Asia and the Pacific were involved in bonded labour. 'The media should play a vital role in eradication of the bonded labour by exposing issues related to labours' exploitation,' they said.
Highlighting the ILO's activities on the issue he said that the organisation was working to bring an end to bonded labour of all kinds in Pakistan by 2015. Further, Sohna said that the government would soon start a programme to educate the labourers' children.