Child labour crisis grips Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:

An estimated 8.6 million children aged between 5 and 17 are currently engaged in child labour in Pakistan, according to figures shared during a briefing held in Islamabad to mark World Day Against Child Labour.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) organised the media briefing on Thursday to highlight the scale of child labour in the country and to underline the need for coordinated national action to address the issue.

The session was told that recent evidence also suggests around 25.1 million children aged 5 to 16 are out of school, while nearly 88 per cent of child labour cases are concentrated in rural areas. Children continue to be engaged across multiple sectors, including agriculture, brick kilns, domestic work, waste-picking and other segments of the informal economy.

Speaking at the briefing, ILO Country Director for Pakistan Geir T. Tonstol stressed that child labour goes beyond being a child protection concern and represents a broader challenge involving rights, decent work and development.

"Child labour reflects poverty, informality, unequal opportunities, barriers to education and gaps in social protection. Addressing it requires more than enforcement alone. It requires quality education, decent work opportunities for adults, adequate incomes and stronger social protection for vulnerable families," Tonstol said.

The ILO noted that child labour and exclusion from schooling are deeply interconnected. Children who are out of school are more likely to enter the workforce prematurely, while those engaged in labour face reduced chances of completing their education.

The organisation called for a comprehensive response involving government institutions, employers' and workers' organisations, civil society, development partners and the media.