Provincial Minister for Labour and HR, Raja Ashfaq Sarwar has said that Punjab government is struggling to promote handicrafts reflecting Pakistani culture and values made by our artisans from villages and remote areas and will provide full cooperation to NGOs, encouraging skilled people affiliated with this business and help to introduce their products in international market.
He said this while talking to a delegation of an NGO “AHAN” led by chairperson Shireen Arhsad Khan here today. The NGO provides help to poor and destitute handicraft-makers of remote areas affiliated with domestic handicrafts and access of their products to international market. President Handicraft Association of Pakistan, Tahira Naseem, Member Provincial Assembly Dr. Aliya Aftab, Naveed Sheikh, Dr. Javed Gill and other members are included in the delegation. The Minister appreciated the NGO’s work with the motto “Aik Hunar Aik Nagar” and lauded the role of AHAN for providing cooperation to persons of remote areas. He said that Punjab government has started a project with Rs. 5.2 billion for eradication of child and bonded labour and rehabilitation of their families and handicraft makers can also get financial assistance from this unprecedented mega project of Punjab government. Chairperson AHAN Shireen Arshad Khan said that the NGO is working in 65 districts of Pakistan to facilitate skilled workers in handicraft sector for the skill development, financial assistance, modernization of the skills along with making possible the access of their products in the international market so as to increase the living standard. She said that Pakistani handicrafts were extremely liked in Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, China and other countries. She lauded the efforts of Punjab government including Minister Labour for his special concern and interest for safeguarding the rights of home based workers by protecting them from the exploitation of middleman.
