ISLAMABAD:
In Pakistan, more than 8.6 million children are engaged in child labor, of which more than 6.6 million are involved in hazardous work that threatens their health, safety and development, according to a national report released on Thursday by the National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR) in collaboration with UNICEF.
Titled “Pakistan: Child Labor Surveys, Evidence for Action,” the report provides the first nationally representative dataset on child labor in almost three decades, offering a comprehensive assessment of the magnitude, distribution, sectors and determinants of child labor across the country.
Launching the report, NCHR President Rabiya Javeri Agha said the last comprehensive survey on child labor in Pakistan was conducted in 1996, forcing policymakers and development partners to rely on outdated and fragmented data for over 20 years. She noted that although the prevalence of child labor varies by province, hazardous child labor remains a widespread problem affecting children across the country.
According to the findings, Punjab bears the heaviest burden, with around 6 million child laborers. Sindh follows with 1.6 million child laborers, while Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has 745,155, Balochistan 201,352 and Islamabad Capital Territory 15,180.
The report identifies poverty as the main driver of child labor, with children from the poorest households and families with parents with low levels of education most likely to be affected. Boys are significantly more likely than girls to be involved in work, including hazardous occupations.
A significant portion of child labor takes place within family settings, including on farms, workshops and homes, making it largely invisible to conventional labor inspection mechanisms, the report notes. It also highlights the serious consequences of this situation for the well-being of children.
Working children are more likely to be out of school, work long hours and suffer from injuries, illness, fatigue and poor mental health, it says. Across all provinces, between 32% and 58% of working children reported work-related injuries or illnesses, while up to a third of older working children reported symptoms of depression.
Federal Minister for Human Rights Azam Nazeer Tarar said this challenge cannot be addressed by a single ministry or intervention. He said the evidence showed that child labor was far more widespread than commonly believed and called for a reassessment of national priorities.
