June 11, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 06, 1429

HYDERABAD, June 10: The United Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has called for an annual audit of the NGOs working for the elimination of child labour but spend only 10 per cent from millions they receive in donations.

Secretary General of the commission Rana Faizul Hassan and other office-bearers in a press conference at the press club said that kiln workers were being treated unfairly as when the rate for making 1,000 bricks was Rs900 they used to get Rs300, while now when it was Rs2,500-3,000 they were getting the same amount.

Workers were deprived of housing, medical and educational facilities, while their children were also working with them, they said. Kiln workers get money in loan on which interest accumulates because of their inability to clear dues they said adding that the vicious circle at times forces them to sell their kidneys to clear debt.They slammed the government for not taking action against kiln owners and said to eliminate child labour it should provide facilities to poor segment as they were starving and their children working in factories.

The government should announce free education up to graduation, they said.

They criticised those paper NGOs which get donation in millions for elimination of child labour while spend only 10 per cent of it, and the rest on seminars and workshops held in five-star hotels.

They demanded an annual audit of such NGOs along with making public their performance reports to tell people wherefrom these organisations were getting funds to run their rented offices situated in most expensive localities.

They said action should be taken against the NGOs formed on political basis and for personal interests. They said around 44,000 NGOs were registered in the country with only a few hundred active.

They said forced labour business would not be closed as long as people like Abdul Rehman Mari were getting relief. They said that in interior of Sindh feudal lords run private jails with peasant families held in captivity and face violence on bid to attempt escape.

They asked the government to take action against owners enslaving poor people and impressed upon political and religious parties to raise their voice against forced labour.