PHC asks KP govt to explain domestic child labour policy

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to explain as to why the government has not adopted policy for domestic child labour in the province.

Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth observed during a writ petitions filed against child labour in the province that child labour in houses was increasing day by day. He said people were hiring children to look after their own and do the house chores.

Additional Advocate General Waqar Ahmad submitted before the bench that respondents in the case had submitted replies. However, he sought time for explaining the provincial government position about its policy on domestic child labour.

The court adjourned the case till today with the direction to be informed about the government’s domestic child labour policy, if any. The court was hearing a writ petition filed by a Peshawar-based lawyer, Muhammad Khursheed Khan, against the child labour.

During hearing, he informed the bench the government had been spending a huge amount on the Child Protection Commission and despite that the child labour situation was worsening day by day in the province. The lawyer submitted that child labour was a sensitive issue and the provincial government was not giving any attention to it.

He submitted that the provincial government had enacted the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Act, 2010, and later also established the Child Protection Commission, but the act was not implemented in the province.

The lawyer also submitted that the provincial government had established Child Welfare and Protection Commission in 2010, but the issue was deteriorating. On the previous hearing, the chief justice had observed that before summoning officials in the case, first comments would be sought to explain why they did not fulfill their obligations to implement child labour laws in the province.

The petitioner, who also remained deputy attorney general, submitted that the alleged torture case of a minor maid named Tayyaba, working in the house of additional district and sessions judge, Islamabad, compelled him to take the child labour issue to the higher court and ensure implementation of the child labour laws.