950806

Child labour propaganda

meant to harm Pakistan's

economy: Haider

ISLAMABAD: The biased propaganda campaign launched against Pakistan with regard to child and bonded labour is not to aimed promote welfare of the children but is meant for harming Pakistan's image and economy, according to a message received from Geneva here on Sunday.

Speaking at the 47th session of the sub-commission on prevention of discrimination and protection minorities, being held in Geneva, the leader of Pakistan delegation Senator Iqbal Haider said, "Pakistan seems to have been singled out in a biased propaganda campaign which is obviously designed, not to promote welfare of our children but to harm Pakistan's image and its economy.

He said child and bonded labour is a socioeconomic problem faced by most countries including all Saarc nations, Latin America, Africa, East Asia and even Europe and North America.

He said Pakistan Government is taking resolute steps to root out bonded labour and prevent abuse of child labour and their exploitation.

Enumerating the measures, he said a survey is being conducted by the government in collaboration with International Labour Organization (ILO) to determine the magnitude of the child labour.

He said Islamabad has signed memoranda of understanding with ILO to eliminate bonded labour and prevent abuse of child labour.

He said Pakistan has launched 13 Action Programme for achieving these objectives.

He said government has decided to launch nation-wide rehabilitation programme for working children. He said initially, 35 rehabilitation centres will be established to provide education, training, food and monthly stipend to children under 14 years whose parents are too poor to provide food for their children.

Moreover, he said provincial governments have been asked to constitute inspection teams to regularly visit industrial sites and factories to monitor working conditions and to check abuse of child labour.-APP