On this occasion, Sparc, which has been struggling since 1992 for the protection of the rights of the child in Pakistan, launched a weeklong campaign focusing on child domestic labour. It demands a ban on it. This is a laudable move though the strategy needs to be well-thought-out.

As is the case in Pakistan, anomalies abound. First of all, we do not even have reliable data. How many children are there in the labour force? The government has not conducted a survey to collect information since 1996 when it stated that three million children were working in the country. Today various agencies give much higher numbers which range between 10 and 12 million (the International Labour Organisation and Unicef, the UN children’s agency).

Another dichotomy is the definition of the child — that is the age under which a person is a child. Many laws that regulate the employment of children in ‘hazardous’ occupations such as mines and factories define the child as being under 14 years of age. Article 25-A of the Constitution that makes education compulsory for children specifies the cut-off age as 16 years.

Nadra treats people as adults when they are 18. That is the age when they are also entitled to vote. ILO’s Minimum Age Convention (C138) specifies 15 years as the minimum age for the employment of children for “light work”.

These variations cannot be taken lightly because they contradict each other and create confusion making it impossible to implement the existing laws. As it is, law enforcement is the major challenge faced when attempting reforms. In that context, child domestic labour dubbed as ‘hidden servitude’ is most difficult to identify and eliminate or regulate. Not much thought is given to it and generally the acceptance of domestic child labour has been internalised. It bursts into the limelight when a tragedy occurs.

And tragedies occur in plenty. From January 2010 to August 2011, 18 cases of violence against child domestic workers were reported. Thirteen of them died. In 2013 up to May nine cases of abuse have been registered and five deaths have occurred. Most of the victims were girls, who constitute 68pc of children employed in homes.

All child workers are kept in exploitative conditions — with long working hours, being assigned hard and hazardous duties, and receiving low wages. One doesn’t really have to ask the employers — and to my knowledge no survey of this kind has been conducted — as to why they hire children for domestic work.

Though no survey of the sort has been conducted the answers are so obvious. Children’s salaries are low. They do not protest and submit to all orders. Above all, they have no protection and employers are heartless.

The question that needs to be asked is from parents. Why do they send young children to work away from their families? Invariably the reason cited is poverty. In the broader context, it rests on the state and society to improve conditions so that the little ones do not become victims of this unholy connivance between parents and employers.

It is also time to hold those working for the population sector accountable for the horrendous phenomenon of parents having huge families and then using children to support their families. Poverty is so directly linked to the failure of our population programmes, especially when we have such a huge unmet need. This in demographic terminology means parents who do not want more children but have no access to contraceptive services.

The state also has a responsibility in the matter. Sharmila Farooqi, an MPA (Sindh), who was the chief guest at Sparc’s seminar last week, was right when she said it was difficult to get the state to keep a check on child domestic labour given its invisibility. She emphasised the importance of tackling the issue at the social level.

However, one cannot absolve the state of its responsibility in the matter. It must respond to Sparc’s demand to include domestic work in the list of banned sectors from which children must be kept out under the Child Employment Act of 1991.

Apart from that, it is time the state took its responsibility of providing compulsory and free education under Article 25-A of the Constitution for children from five to 16 years of age seriously. If this were done, children would be in school rather than slaving in their employers’ homes. If any state functionary defends the government’s performance in the education sector, she or he has much to answer for.

Surprisingly, no one thinks much of the damage that is caused to a child’s psyche when she is taken away from her family, is subjected to physical and verbal abuse, and is starved of love. I have actually seen young girls tending the little children of their employers and feeding them fancy food in restaurants while being denied the food themselves.

How do the little workers barely older than their wards feel when they watch love and toys being showered by parents on those they are taking care of? This is the fate of the children of the lesser gods.

Isn’t it surprising that they still grow up to be as sane as they are? If a handful of them become criminals can we blame them?

An Article by Zubeida Mustafa

Published by Daily Dawn on June 19, 2013

A letter by MUHAMMAD ASIF

Published by Daily Times on June 19, 2013

The employees, who had closed down the motel of the corporation in Naran and Balakot on June 17 against the non-payment of their salaries for the last 16 months, took out the rally and chanted slogans against the corporation’s high-ups.

The employees also marched through various roads and raised slogans in support of their demands.Majid Yaqoob, president of the employees’ body, told reporters that more than 400 employees of the corporation had been denied salaries for the last several months.

Published by Daily The News on June 19, 2013

The court admitted a number of pleas and ordered that the raise in salary would be implemented with effect from March 2013.A single member bench of the IHC, comprising Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, issued the directives after hearing 23 identical petitions filed by the employees of Pakistan Council for Science and Technology, Federal Government College Teachers Association and other departments for seeking a raise of 20 percent in the basic salaries as being availed by the employees of ministries.

During the course of hearing, the counsel for petitioner Asad Hussain Ghalib, GM Chaudhry, apprised the bench that the federal government, through an office memorandum, gave the allowance to all the officers and staff working in the federal ministries/divisions only.

The counsel argued that the petitioners and other employees of the Ministry of Science and Technology were equally entitled to all the benefits extended to the employees of ministry serving in the same scale and under the same terms and conditions.

All employees are equally entitled and eligible for the same benefits, salary, allowance and special allowances, which are being extended to the employees of other allied departments, the counsel added.

They prayed the court to direct the Ministry of Finance, Prime Minister’s Secretariat, to pay the 20pc special allowance to the petitioners and other employees of the department. Additional secretary finance apprised the bench that there was no special allowance which could be given to the corporations and other government departments employees. Justice Siddiqui observed that all the government employees should be equally treated and discriminatory attitude would not be tolerated.After hearing the arguments, the bench admitted the petitions and adjourned the matter for an indefinite period.

Published by Daily The News on June 19, 2013

Interestingly, the withdrawal of 75 percent rebate on tax is being calculated more than the 10 percent salary increase of teachers. After this, teachers have to pay at least 10 to 15 percent more tax than their actual salary.

The Government College University Lahore Academic Staff Association has demanded the government to immediately withdraw a clause in the current budget 2013 regarding the withdrawal of 75% rebate on the tax to the teachers and researchers. Meeting of Executive Counsel of GCU ASA on June 18 condemned the decision and termed it anti-education.

GCU ASA members said the withdrawal of this rebate would lead to severe economic hardship for the teachers and employees of public sector educational institutions and they strongly protested against this economic burden.
GCU ASA General Secretary Hamid Mukhtar told Daily Times that GCU ASA would decide its future plan on Thursday after meeting with Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association. He said that ASA of all public sector universities would hold an emergency meeting in this regard.

He said that this withdrawal would put huge burden on teachers and researchers who are already facing financial difficulties due to stopped funds of universities and HEC. This decision may encourage more teachers and researchers to leave the country and shift elsewhere for greener pastures. Mukhtar was of the view that teacher’s first priority is to negotiate with parliamentarians, legislators and government representatives to take back this decision.

Meanwhile, Punjab Teachers Union (PTU) president Sajjad Kazmi also condemned the decision and said that this decision would cut 10 to 15 percent salaries of teachers as the rebate is more than the increased percentage of salaries. He said that if government does not take back its decision then it must increase the salaries by at least 50 percent.

Published by Daily Times on June 19, 2013

Sources said on June 17 that the money belonged to the Sepco employees, including officers, serving in the operation sub-divisions of Rohri, Salehpat, Old Sukkur and Pannu Aqil under Operation Division Rohri. It was supposed to be remitted to the director accounts (funds), Wapda House, Lahore, for reconciliation on close of every financial year. However, the employees recently came to know that the demand drafts prepared for the purpose were got en-cashed by some unscrupulous people. The sources said that no GPF deducted from workers’ salaries every month had been remitted to the Wapda accounts office since July 2009.

Some of the Rohri division employees made complaints to senior Sepco officials after which a committee headed by Sepco Administration Director Qamruddin Shaikh started an investigation into the matter. Sepco audit officer Abdul Latif Mahar and deputy manager (corporate accounts-II) Nazeer Ahmed Kalwar are the other members of the committee.

It was conveyed to the committee that a dealing clerk in the Rohri division, Abu Bakar Shaikh, was at the centre of the scam.

The sources said that the ‘missing’ amount included workers’ contribution towards group insurance, welfare fund, medical benevolent fund and trade union fund.

When contacted, the inquiry committee member, Mr Kalwar, said that the committee convener had obtained all relevant files and documents to reach a conclusion.

Published by Daily Dawn on June 19, 2013

The protesters said that it was impossible to survive in this inflation and 10 per cent increase in salaries was not enough. Later, DCO Ghulam Farid talked with the protesters and assured them that he would convey their demand to the authorities.

Published by Daily The News on June 19, 2013

All the foreign qualified PhD teachers have been on strike since last June 14 after accusing the university administration of backtracking from a commitment to accept their genuine demands.

The foreign qualified scholars had gone on strike two weeks ago and boycotted the classes after the university administration refused to accept their demands.

They held a press conference at the Chakdarra Press Club and asked Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shaukatullah and higher education minister to take note of the issue.The protesting teachers said that both the University of Malakand (UOM) and Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST) have same statutes.

The said KUST has approved study leave with pay for their PhD faculty members and recently University of Hazara followed the same precedent.The PhD teachers who have their degrees from UK, France, Germany, Austria, Sweden, and New Zealand complained they have been forced by the administration to leave the university.

Earlier, they had called up their strike when the Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Johar promised to resolve the issue.However, all the foreign PhD teachers announced strike until the acceptance of their demands after they felt that their grievances had not been addressed. The PhD faculty members are of the opinion that the university administration has received their salaries from HEC.

Published by Daily The News on June 19, 2013

He was presiding over a high level meeting. Punjab Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Minister for Local Government and Law Rana Sanaullah Khan, Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Advisor Azm-ul-Haq, secretary finance, secretary information and other officials were present.

“The minimum wage of labourers has been increased from Rs 9,000 to Rs10,000 and will be gradually increased to Rs 15,000 per month. Instead of putting burden on the common man in the new budget, tax will be recovered from the elite and spent on the welfare and uplift of the poor and low-income people,” said Shahbaz Sharif.
He said the Punjab government has taken effective measures to bring the affluent classes into the tax net which will broaden the tax base and more resources will be available. He said that process of simplicity and austerity has been started from chief minister office and its expenses have been curtailed by 30%. He said that every penny of public money is a sacred trust and will be treated as such while the policy of merit and transparency will continue. He said that substantial funds have been allocated for education, health and energy sectors. Sharif said that Punjab government would also launch the metro bus project in Rawalpindi, Multan and Faisalabad. He said like the last year, more funds have been earmarked for south Punjab in the new budget, compared to its population. He said that a sum of Rs 93 billion rupees has been allocated in the budget 2013-14 for the development of south Punjab.

He said a record development budget of Rs 290 billion will play an important role in raising the living standard of people. The chief minister said that a number of measures have also been announced in the budget for maintaining law and order. He said that 500 sub-inspectors would be recruited in the police department through Public Service Commission on merit who will help in implementation of the government policy of transformation of Thana culture. He said that a massive sum of Rs 20.5 billion has been allocated for energy sector in the budget, which will help in overcoming energy crisis.

He said that in order to provide solar energy and biogas-operated tube-wells to small farmers, an amount of Rs 7.5 billion has been earmarked in the budget. He said that government through utilisation of its resources and help of private sector will ensure economic development and creation of maximum job opportunities.

Published by Daily Times on June 19, 2013

The All Pakistan Clerks Association, Swat chapter, had organised the protest. Members of pensioners, teachers, drivers, health and computer operators associations participated in the protest.

The protesters gathered outside the office of Mingora assistant director livestock from there they marched on various roads and reached the press club. They also raised slogans against the central and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments.

On the occasion, speakers said the government had failed to raise their salaries according to the prevailing price hike.

They said the budgets were meant to benefit elite class and landlords.

They also warned of holding protest demonstration outside parliament house in Islamabad if their demand was not fulfilled.

Published by Daily Dawn on June 19, 2013