By Our Correspondent
Lahore, December 4 — On the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the provincial government has established a high-level steering committee to eliminate child labour across the province.
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According to the official notification, the 15-member committee will be chaired by Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, while former Member National Assembly Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha has been appointed as Co-Chairman. Provincial ministers for School Education, Investment & Commerce, Industries & Trade, Social Welfare & Bait-ul-Maal, and Skills Development & Small Enterprises will also serve as members.
The committee further includes the provincial secretaries of Home, Labour & Human Resource, School Education, Industries & Commerce, Social Welfare, and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, along with the Chairman PITB and DIG Police.
The steering committee has been tasked with mapping all sectors where child labour exists and identifying the most vulnerable districts, industries, and areas. Comprehensive data will be collected from sectors such as industries, brick kilns, agriculture, fisheries, workshops, and auto-repair units. A centralised provincial databank integrated with AI and GIS technology will also be developed.
The committee will propose alternative pathways for children involved in forced labour and prepare immediate, medium-term, and long-term strategies for its elimination. It will also formulate an implementation plan, design an awareness strategy for parents, teachers, and all segments of society, and develop performance indicators to measure institutional progress.
Punjab has become the first province in Pakistan to launch such a comprehensive initiative aimed at eradicating child labour. Officials said that these efforts will also help improve Punjab’s international ranking on child protection and labour rights.
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