Shahbaz Sharif presides a meeting for elimination of child labour at brick kilns

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif presided over a meeting of steering committee set up for elimination of child labour at brick kilns, here today. The meeting decided to make legal framework effective and comprehensive for elimination of child labour at brick kilns and an ordinance will soon be issued in this regard.

Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif vowed that child labour will be eliminated from brick kilns. He said that the children working at brick kilns will be enrolled in schools and they will be provided stipend. He said that special committees will be constituted at district level for elimination of child labour at brick kilns.

The Chief Minister said that DCOs and DPOs of concerned districts will monitor the performance of district committees whereas weekly meeting of these district committees will be held regularly and DCOs and DPOs will also be responsible for personally checking of brick kilns.

Shehbaz Sharif directed that the concerned departments should formulate draft ordinance at the earliest for issuing ordinance regarding elimination of child labour.

He directed Secretary Industry that a report with regard to registration of brick kilns should be submitted within seven days and the boarding and lodging of children in schools should also be considered. He further directed that a comprehensive programme for providing treatment and other medical facilities to the children should be evolved.

Provincial Ministers Rana Sanaullah, Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Rana Mashhood Ahmad, Spokesman Punjab government Zaeem Hussain Qadri, Chairperson Child Protection Bureau Saba Sadiq, Chief Secretary and concerned secretaries attended the meeting.