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HYDERABAD, July 2: Speakers at a two-day workshop "Protection to working children" organized by the All-Pakistan Federation of Trade Union on Friday demanded that on the pattern of Punjab, education up to matric should be made free in Sindh.
Pakistan Wapda Hydro-Electric Central Labour Union president Latif Nizamani and others said that the government should make all-out efforts to eliminate poverty, unemployment and illiteracy from the country.
They said that the Minimum Wages Act was not being implemented any where in the country as a result children were forced to work with a view to supplementing their family income.
They said that thousands of children were working in bangle industry, kilns, leather industry and other fields of endeavour. They said that mandatory health and safety measures were totally ignored by the health department.
They urged the NGOs to launch a consistent movement to eliminate child labour and called upon the government to encourage small and medium industry to end unemployment.
They reminded the government that Pakistan was a signatory to the ILO convention number 182 and it should therefore enact laws to implement the convention. They said that the government should also ensure equal educational facilities for the children of poor people.
HUNGER STRIKE: Activists of the Asif Ali Zardari release committee, district chapter, observed a token hunger strike outside the press club on Friday to protest against the continued imprisonment of Asif Ali Zardari.
Earlier, they took out a procession from the Hyder chowk which terminated at the press club after marching on the Risala Road. The protesters carried banners and placards inscribed with different slogans.
Speaking on the occasion, the district president of the committee, Ali Mohammad Sehto said that Mr Zardari was a prisoner of conscience as he was languishing in jail for the last eight years.
He said Mr Zardari had refused time and again to enter into any deal with the successive rulers and that was the reason that he was not being set free. He demanded that all the cases against Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Ali Zardari should be withdrawn and Mr Zardari be released immediately.
PPP CULTURAL WING: Activists of the PPP cultural wing, city chapter, on Friday staged a silent protest demonstration outside the press club against the murder of PPP leaders Munawar Suharwardy, MPA Abdullah Murad and other innocent people. They carried banners demanding the removal of Sindh governor and chief minister.
