Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports

Pakistan

Baked Goods
Baked Goods
Child Labor Icon
Bovines
Bovines
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Bricks
Bricks
Child Labor Icon
Forced Child Labor Icon
Forced Labor Icon
Carpets
Carpets
Child Labor Icon
Forced Child Labor Icon
Forced Labor Icon
Coal
Coal
Child Labor Icon
Forced Child Labor Icon
Forced Labor Icon
Cotton
Cotton
Forced Labor Icon
Dairy Products
Dairy Products
Child Labor Icon
Electronics
Electronics
Child Labor Icon
Furniture
Furniture
Child Labor Icon
Garments
Garments
Child Labor Icon
Glass Bangles
Glass Bangles
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Leather
Leather
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Rice
Rice
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Sugarcane
Sugarcane
Forced Labor Icon
Surgical Instruments
Surgical Instruments
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Textiles
Textiles
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Wheat
Wheat
Forced Labor Icon
Pakistan
2021 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor:

Minimal Advancement – Efforts Made but Continued Practice that Delayed Advancement

In 2021, Pakistan made minimal advancement because it continued to implement practices that delay advancement to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. During the reporting period, the Pakistani federal government and some provincial governments enacted legislation to address the worst forms of child labor, including bills prohibiting hazardous work for children under 14 years in Balochistan; banning corporal punishment of children, including in domestic work; and establishing special courts dedicated to child protection. Additionally, the Federal Investigative Authority provided training for Pakistani police, social welfare and labor departments, and child protection bureaus at the central and provincial levels. The Child Protection and Welfare Bureau rescued over 1,000 children from begging in Punjab and referred 1,500 to 2,000 children for psychological counseling. However, despite new initiatives to address child labor, Pakistan is assessed as having made only minimal advancement because it continued to implement a practice that delays advancement to eliminate child labor. Pakistan continued to support the Taliban in Afghanistan, and reports indicate that the Taliban recruited and used child soldiers during the reporting period. Children in Pakistan are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including forced domestic work and forced labor in brick manufacturing and agriculture. Additionally, provincial labor inspectorates do not have sufficient resources to adequately enforce laws prohibiting child labor, and the federal and provincial governments did not publicly release information on their labor and criminal law enforcement efforts. Furthermore, police corruption, particularly the taking of bribes from suspected perpetrators to ignore child labor crimes and a lack of willingness to conduct criminal investigations, hindered Pakistan's ability to address child labor throughout the country.

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