September 21, 2008	Sunday	Ramazan 20, 1429

NAUSHAHRO FEROZE, Sept 20: A man belonging to Mohammad Bux Laghari village near Moro along with his seven minor children reached Moro town on Saturday and appealed to the people to buy his children or help him in getting a job.

Lal Bux alias Lalan Laghari brought his seven minor children --, Najeeb 1; Ayaz, 2; Waqar, 3; Ghulam Qambar, 5; Ghulam Jafar, 6; Awais, 8 and baby Kawish, 7-- to the press club carrying banner inscribed with “my children are available for sale”.

Lalan Laghari staged a demonstration outside the press club for about an hour.

He said after passing matriculation he had made several attempts to get a job but could not find one. He said later he suffered from kidney problem.

He said he had requested Baitul Maal officers, Zakat chairman and other elected nazims of UCs but none of them helped him.

He said he had decided to either commit suicide or handover the children to some rich people who could bring them up.

PPP activist and labour leader Haji Khan Bhatti, who claims to be political secretary to MNA Faryal Talpur, reached Moro press club and assured Lalan Leghari of providing a job. However, no official from police or the administration met him.

Our Hyderabad bureau adds: Leaders of different NGOs have called for arresting the parents who were offering their children for sale due to ‘poverty’.

This was stated by protection manager of Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc) Kashif Bajeer, regional head of Strengthening Participatory Organisation Mustafa Baloch, district coordinator of Pakistan Liberal Forum Sajid Channa, Child Rights Committee Hyderabad Shafique Kandhro and head of Sindh Development Society Ghaffar Malik at a consultative meeting on “Sale of children in the name of poverty” at Civic Society Club Qasimabad here on Saturday.

They said that Lalan Leghari of district Naushahro Feroze had no right to offer his children for sale. They said according to the UNO CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child), parents or others responsible guardians for a child have the primary responsibility to secure within their abilities and financial capabilities the conditions of living necessary for the child’s development.

They said that the Constitution of Pakistan and Islam have also prohibited the exploitation of children. They said that this practice had got to be stopped.