ISLAMABAD: Despite legislation banning child domestic labour in the federal capital since 2020, enforcement remains weak, with an estimated one in four households employing a child domestic worker, according to child rights advocates.
Event Highlights Implementation Gaps
Speaking at an event marking World Day against Child Labour 2026, organised by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) in collaboration with the National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC), SPARC Executive Director Asiya Arif highlighted continued gaps in implementation of child protection laws.
She said that although legal safeguards exist, children continue to be exploited in domestic work as well as in informal sectors including workshops, hotels, supply chains and brick kilns. She called for stronger enforcement mechanisms and stricter action against offenders.
Root Causes and Scale of the Problem
Participants at the event, including lawmakers and child rights activists, emphasised the need to address the root causes of child labour, particularly poverty, limited access to education and weak social protection systems. They noted that an estimated 26.2 million children in Pakistan remain out of school, warning that the scale of exclusion continues to fuel vulnerability to exploitation.
Speakers urged coordinated policy action to ensure access to education and strengthen protection frameworks for children across the country.
