Pakistan committed to int'l obligations towards prevention of child labor: president

ISLAMABAD, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President Arif Alvi said on Sunday that his country is committed to its international obligations toward the prevention of child labor.

The president also urged stakeholders to speak against the social evil to prevent child labor.

"Child labor is a growing curse in the world, particularly in the developing countries. Pakistan is a victim of this growing global phenomenon," the president said in a message on the World Day Against Child Labor which falls on sunday.

He said that the constitution of Pakistan guaranteed that no child below the age of 14 years shall be engaged in any form of employment.

"Child labor deprives children of receiving basic education and access to health facilities. It exposed them to harmful and hazardous environments and clipped their basic rights to life and liberty," Alvi said.

Highlighting that every child has a right to get education and better health, the president said that there is a need to ensure that children are also provided with a safe and secure environment around them.

"We can do so by strengthening the capacity of the regulators to address the issue of child and bonded labor," he said, adding that an effective and determined awareness campaign to remind the society of harmful effects of child labor is one important action to fight the menace of child labor.