LAHORE: Shahdara police on Tuesday arrested a motorcycle mechanic after a video clip went viral on social media showing him torturing a minor boy employed at his workshop.

Made by a customer with his mobile phone, the footage sent a wave of anguish among the viewers when it showed the 40-year-old man mercilessly beating his eight-year-old employee, Ahsan, with a metal wire for getting late.

In the painful footage, the helpless boy was seen crying in pain, appealing to his employer for mercy but of no avail.

The incident occurred at Saqlain Autoshop in Shahdara area, inviting strong criticism of the Punjab government for its failure to stop ‘forced child labour’ and the incidents of physical violence against minor children at workplace.

Capital City Police Officer Ghulam Mahmood Dogar, taking notice of the incident, issued directions to Shahdara police to arrest the culprit.

The police raided the autoshop, arrested the mechanic, identified as Waqar and lodged a criminal case against him, a police official said.

He said the CCPO also met the parents of the boy at his office and assured them of justice.

The social media activists were of the view that Punjab has recently witnessed a sharp surge in forced child labour and violence against the children who were left at the mercy of their employers. They demanded review of the child labour policy and relevant laws to avoid such incidents in future.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2021