Sher Azam finds ‘free education’ a solution to end child labour in Pak Says PPP preserved labour rights in every regime

By Salman Yousafzai

PESHAWAR: Provincial Minister for Labor and Manpower Sher Azam Wazir has said that both federal and provincial governments giving serious attention towards the welfare of labor community besides all efforts were being made to promote free education in order to bring an end to child labor in the country.

Speaking at a seminar in a connection with World Day against Child Labor on Wednesday here at Peshawar Press Club, Sher Azam said that Pakistan People Party had been working for the welfare of labor community since 1971, saying that large number of labors across the country reposed confidence into PPP leaderships in every democratic governments.

Sher Azam lamented that due to non-implementation on Child Protection Act 2012 government has not achieved positive results to control child labor but it could be overcome by providing free education to children especially in FATA.

“I accept that there is unemployment, load shedding and poor law and order situation in the country but all of these problems have been inherited by the military dictators as they did wait for completion of any elected regime and imposed martial laws which ruined the whole structure of the country”, he maintained.

He further said that government providing free education to intermediate level while it would further be enhanced to master level, adding that foreign scholarship of 10 million rupees would also be granted to talented students to enable his or her to complete specialization abroad and to serve young generation of the country in future.

“PPP-led federal government increased monthly salary of labors to seven thousand despite the objections by the industry owners. We will implement Labor Policy 2010 across the country to ensure preservation of labor rights besides free education and medical facilities to their children will also be provided”, Mr Sher Azam Claimed.

He added that PPP has reinstated all employees who were sacked from different departments in Nawaz Sharif government while 70 billion rupees has been allocated for Benazir Income Support and soft loans were being provided under the Bacha Khan Khpal rozgar scheme to pull poor class out of economic crises.

Additional Secretary Labor Department Akbar Khan Marwat and Director Labour Irfan Khan also speak on the occasion.