After breaking out of pandemic, child labour has increased in Khyber district as the disease affected economics of middle, middle lower and lower classes of the society.
According to the experts, since long Pakistani economic conditions were uncertain and the outbreak of COIVD 19 further suffered the already economically downtrodden people of the country.
Like citizens of other parts of the country, poor parents in Khyber district also persuaded their children for labour to earn coins to keep function their kitchens.
After closing of educational institutions due to corona disease, scores of tribal children can be witnessed engaging in child labour in Landi Kotal bazaar to extend financial support o their families.
Twelve years old Saida Gul, resident of Gagra village of Landi Kotal said that for the last three months he was working as a daily wager in Landi Kotal bazaar.
Previously his father and brother were employed at a hotel but when the hotelling business had been suspended due to corona disease, they were jobless and he was asked by his mother to seek work in Landi Kotal bazaar to meet the needs of his family.
“I assist people to shift their luggages from one place to another through wheelbarrow and daily I earn 200- 300 rupees that could hardly provide three time meals to my family,” he added.
Muhammad, 14 of Piro Khel village of Landi Kotal was another minor boy who worked as labor at one of flour, ghee and pulses shop in Landi Kotal bazaar said that COIVD 19 compelled him to work as his lonely brother had lost his job in Lahore following lockdown across the country.
Imran Takkar,working for the child rights was contacted on the matter he said children were the main efectees of natural or man calamities happen anywhere in the world and as the COIVD 19 was the globally mishap therefore beside other bad affect it would certainly increase child labor in the country.
Previously 10 million children had been recorded in child labor in the Pakistan and after corona outburst, increase in the child labor in society where poverty ratio was high, a natural phenomenon.
It is the responsibility of the social welfare organizations including Zatak, Baitul Mal, Child protection commission etc. to identify the poor families and extend every possible financial support to them so that to avoid child laboring in the country.
Planning and Development department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in its report issued last week stated that lock down due to corona has left approximately 170000 persons jobless and warned that if it increased it will further increase unemployment in the province. According to the Federal Finance Ministry report in the prevailed the deteriorated economic condition, about three million persons can lose their jobs and the poverty ratio in the country rose from 24.3% to 33.5%.
