Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has given formal approval to Restriction of Employment of Children Ordinance 2016 declaring child labour under the age of 14 as heinous crime in every sector of the province. The Ordinance will be imposed soon after the final approval of Governor Punjab within a few days. A Steering Committee under the convener-ship of Minister Labour & Human Resource Raja Ashfaq Sarwar and co-convener-ship of Chief Secretary Punjab has also been constituted for elimination of child labour in auto workshops, hotels, restaurants and petrol pumps as per orders of Chief Minister Punjab.
An MoU signing ceremony was held here today in connection with the orders of Chief Minister Punjab for skill training of identified children involved in child labour. Minister Labour Raja Ashfaq Sarwar was the chief guest at this occasion while Chairman Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC) Faisal Ijaz Khan, Secretary Labour Nawazish Ali, Manager Research & Development PVTC Shafqat ur Rehman Chaudhry, Project Director Dr. Saeed Wattoo and representatives of Bureau of Statistics, the Urban Unit attended the ceremony. The MoU was signed between Provincial Labour Department and Punjab Vocational & Training Council (PVTC) for skill training of 69 thousand children between the age of 14 to 18 years, identified in child labour survey conducted by BOS in ten different districts of the province. The skill training comprising six months programme to commence from August will be imparted in three phases in all districts of the province. Minister Labour Raja Ashfaq Sarwar said that this training programme will play a pivotal role in elimination of child labour and hence poverty as children trained through this programme will be able to earn their living with accreditated degree by the institute. Representatives of BOS informed that after completion of child labour survey in ten districts of the province, the bureau has moved forward to next 13 districts for collection of authentic data of the children involved in child labour at auto workshops, hotels, restaurants and petrol pumps. Minister Labour warned that vigorous crackdown against responsibles of child labour in these three sectors will be conducted soon after the Eid ul Fiter. He further apprised that Literacy, School Education, Home and Social Welfare departments along with respective district administrations and notables NGOs will also be included in the campaign against child labour.