ISLAMABAD: The chairman of the Senate select committee on Thursday expressed displeasure over the lack of interest among the members in discussing the Islamabad Restriction on Employment of Children Bill as 25 out of its 27 members remained absent from its meeting.

The meeting of the committee was slated to be held at Parliament House to discuss the bill moved by Senator Sehar Kamran of the PPP. However, except the chairman Mir Kabeer Ahmed Mohammad Shahi and member Senator Sassui Palijo, the other members did not turn up.

“The country has been facing several issues related to child labour, this is highly important bill but unfortunately members showed no interest in it,” the chairman said, adding the bill could not be passed even after three meetings.

The mover of the bill is going to retire this month after completing her six-year tenure as a senator. However, Ms Palijo said the bill should be continued through any other member.

The 27-member select committee had to adjourn its meeting after chairman and one member turned up

In a statement of objects and reasons, the mover of the bill had said child labour was a violation of fundamental human rights and a hindrance to children’s development, potentially leading to lifelong physical or psychological damage.

She said child labour perpetuated poverty through generations by keeping children out of school and limiting their prospects for upwards social growth.

“This bill is aligned with the conventions of International Labour Organisation (ILO) explicitly prohibiting the engagement of children below 14 years.

“However, the bill allows the employment of adolescents in certain non-hazardous tasks because imposition of complete ban on employment of adolescents would deprive their families of livelihood as their parents find it hard to earn just enough money to live on, so they are left with no option but to depend on the income of their children,” read the bill.

It seeks to prohibit the employment of children below the age of 14 and to regulate the working conditions of adolescents.

The bill strives to provide protection to the adolescent workers as enunciated in different international instruments and the Constitution of Pakistan.

The mover also proposed that there should be two-weekly holidays for adolescent employed by any employer.

The bill also proposed several penalties on employers who would engage children to work. It also calls for the establishment of an adolescent labour regulatory authority.

The proposed authority will consist of the chief protection officer to be appointed by the government and such number of child protection officers and other staff as the government may fix from time to time.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2018