PESHAWAR - Participants at a seminar stressed the need for proper legislations at provincial level after the 18th constitutional amendments and role of media to eradicate the menace of child labour.
A seminar titled 'the role of media to eliminate child labour' and aimed to highlight the issue of child labour and the role of media in combating the menace was organized by provincial Child Labour Unit, the Directorate of Labour with the technical assistance of ILO-EU, here on Wednesday.
Representatives from various media organizations, faculty members and students of Journalism and Mass Communication Department, University of Peshawar, and officials from Labour Department were among the participants. In the seminar, various aspects of the issue of child labour in light of existing national and international laws were highlighted. On the occasion, Director Labour, IrfanUllah, presented an overall view of the child labour menace containing the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the legal regime both at national and international level. The existing child labour law like the Employment of Children Act 1991 was also discussed in which various shortcomings were identified.
He also explained that after the 18th constitutional amendment the subject of child labour has become a provincial matter and the provinces are now required to legislate in order to control this social menace.
In his presentation, he explained the features of their proposed changes/amendments in the existing law in order to streamline it in conformity with International Labour Standards (ILS).
Besides, Prof. Naeem Gul of the Journalism Department, while addressing on the occasion expressed his views about the role of media in eradicating the menace of child labour, and suggested a close association of the directorate of labour with media in order to counter the growing menace of child labour in the province.
He also hailed the steps to raise the attention of provincial Child Labour Unit towards this particular issue and also drew the attention of media towards awareness rising in the masses regarding the menace.