LAHORE, June 14: Poverty alone cannot be blamed for forcing children to become labourers, say panelists at a discussion on Tuesday. Lack of awareness among the parents, education system without scope for skill development or vocational training, and poor implementation of relevant laws were some other major reasons for the menace, they added.

Drawing a line between child work and child labour, the panelists said the former was acceptable as it did not deny the children their right to education and recreation.

The discussion on ‘Child Labour in Pakistan’ was organized jointly by NGOs Sudhar and Idara-i-Taleem-o-Agahi at a hotel in connection with the World Day Against Child Labour.

Child labour, they said, could not be eliminated without undertaking integrated efforts for women development. The issue could be addressed in phased and gradual manner.

The Employment of Child Act 1991 required an amendment to include all the worst forms of child labour within the purview of the law.

The panelists included Saifullah Chaudhry of the International Labour Organization’s time bound programme, project director Fawwad Usman Khan of Sudhar-ITA Alliance, Legal Draftsman Mohsin Abbas of the Punjab Law Department, and Labour department director Zarar Haider.