As the world is focusing on the celebrations of
the New Year, the children, who are engaged in labor in Pakistan, are unaware of the advent
of 2010.
Amjid, 10, who was busy arranging vegetables in a pushcart at a local market in Islamabad on Friday, told Xinhua, "It doesn't matter what date it is." For him, every day means hard working.
When asked why he is unaware of the New Year as the whole world is celebrating it,another laborer Tariq, 12, said "Only the rich and those having leisure have time for such celebrations."
A ten-year old boy Sher Muhammad, who was busy cleansing onion for sale, said "I have been working in the market for six months, from 6 a.m. till 6 p.m." He said he earns 100 rupees (about 1.17 U. S. dollar) a day, while his brother earns 150 rupees (about 1.76 dollar). They have to support his sick father, mother and two brothers, he said.
"I have one brother and three sisters. I am the eldest one. We all have to work as we are
poor and our father is old. We have no holidays because we cannot afford it," said Abubakar Sadique, an 11-year-old laborer.
When talking about his wishes, he said he wants to become a doctor. His younger brother and sisters could go to school like other children.
Amid the happiness of the New Year, these children, who are facing harsh realities of
their life, are deprived of schooling and forced into labor market.
Despite laws on child labor and presence of so many NGOs in Pakistan, the problems of child labor still can not be eliminated.
According to the United Nations Development Program Human Development Report 2007-2008, an estimated 3.3 million children, aged between 5 and 14 years, are working in Pakistan, 264,000 children of whom are working in "personal and social services."
Another source suggests that 67 percent of the total child labors are engaged in agricultural sector, 9 percent in wholesale, 11 percent in manufacturing and 13 percent in other areas.