Child Labor Laws: Pakistan


Pakistan: a country of rich faith and culture, a country of turmoil, and one of the countries that is most prominent toward child labor and children working.Many products come out of Pakistan, from clothes to toys and the odds are they were made (or helped to be made) through the help of children in the workforce.

The law on child labor in Pakistan is a very loose one, and it is often utilized and exploited against the benefit of the children themselves. In Pakistan there are two different types of work for children. There is child labor, which is technically illegal, then there is child work, which is 100% legal.

Child work is defined as any kind of work that does not interfere with a child's school work. If a child works after school, or on a school holiday or day off, then it is completely legal. This law was put in place because it was completely acceptable for families to need help in the family business, and the son or daughter would often help out in order to take over the business one day themselves.

However, this law in particular is exploited not by family members or relatives (though that does happen) but rather by factory owners and contractors paid by large organizations in order to produce goods. What we know as child labor would only be classified as such if the labor or working conditions detailed in the 'child work' law were breached or exploited in some way. Because of the loose legality of the whole situation, it becomes a haven for what is in fact child labor and thousands of minors suffer for it.

This is a big problem. In order for labor & work laws to be just and fair, then many new sanctions and regulations need to be put in place in order to maintain the fair laws of inheritance and fair child work while also abolishing anything that could give leeway to child labor once again.



First of all, a worker's union in Pakistan would prove very beneficial. Union leaders would be your average worker, with no government tie or connection. Further, he or she must understand the fundamental rights of man and children, while also promoting a good attitude toward the working class.

In order to maintain the child working laws as necessary (for fair working conditions) then adults should be able to prove that they are the child's legal parent and / or guardian with official certificates of birth. On that note, the fact that children are able to be contracted by a non-parent or guardian allows contracted factory workers to take in the children and use them for their own gain. This law was put in place as a means of assisting with the family business, and providing the child with valuable work experience that he or she will need when they are much older.

Further, in order to maintain clear communication a work order supplement should be signed by teachers of children who attend school, and regular communication should be kept between teachers and parents or guardians of the child. Even something as small as an automated system that checks in with the parents and guardians every now and again would provide a significant difference, even if small.


Above all, a general labor force well versed in the legalities of work and the basics of human rights would be ideal to shaping up Pakistan's issue with child labor. It must be a local union however - interference from another country would cause turmoil and suspicion among the locals in the area, even in honest workers and business owners. Those with a true passion for the liberation of Pakistan's children will step up and join the Union or labor force and advance the country in the right direction.

A worker's union or labor force, regular communication with the schools the children attend and a sharp eye on factory countries are key to a better working society. The key to a better Pakistan for the children, and the children's children when  they are of age. In truth, foreign companies (contracted from the U.S and Canada for example) can do nothing about it, as most of the time they do not know where or who they are contracting - just that there is a factory in a certain district producing goods. 

SOURCES:
Child Labour and Pakistan. (n.d.). Retrieved June 09, 2017, from http://www.paycheck.pk/main/labour-laws/fair-treatment/minors-and-youth/child-labour

Zuberi, W. N. (2017, May 09). Child labour. Retrieved June 09, 2017, from http://pakobserver.net/child-labour-25/

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