Provincial Minister for Labour, Haji Ehsan-ud-Din Qureshi has said that government is committed to upgrade the socio-economic conditions of the labourers' community and seven thousand brick kiln children have been registered for education in Lahore and Kasur districts while interest-free loans of 75 million rupees have been given to brick kiln workers.
While presiding over a meeting regarding up gradation of socio-economic conditions of brick kiln workers at Secretariat, Minister Labour said that Punjab government will revise child labour laws in view of the ratification by Pakistan on International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions 138 and 182 on child labour. He said that ILO is assisting the government in adopting new laws under 18th amendment; Labour Department has been devolved to the provinces. He said that a special project has been launched to strengthen law enforcement against internal trafficking and bonded labour in the province. He said that a project already implemented in Lahore and Kasur will focus on education of children of brick kiln families, provision of micro credit services, helping the brick kilns.
Haji Ehsan-ud-Din Qureshi said that Punjab government is ahead from other provinces in the efforts to wipe-out the child labour and with the co-operation of ILO, we have eradicated child labour in football industry at Sialkot whereas a new project has been launched to eliminate the worst form of child labour in four districts of the province. Secretary Labour, Director Labour and other high ranking officers were also present on the occasion.