ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Division on Tuesday banned child domestic labour in the Islamabad capital territory (ICT) through a notification.

Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari in tweet stated: “Finally cabinet decision enforced through Gazette notification. Child Domestic Labour proscribed under 1991 Child Employment Act valid for ICT. Provinces can adopt through a simple provincial assembly resolution the same way. First time child domestic labour proscribed in Pakistan.”

The minister had been pushing for including domestic labour by children as a hazardous line of work in the act, maintaining that in the absence of legislation to protect domestic workers this would be the fastest way to protect children.

Ms Mazari pushed for the amendment after an eight-year-old domestic worker was beaten to death by her employer in the capital territory.

The Employment of Children Act 1991 prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 in unsafe and hazardous environments such as factories, carpet industries and mines.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2020