Laws against child domestic labour sought.

ISLAMABAD -- Child rights activists on Saturday urged the federal and provincial governments to enact new legislation against child domestic labour.

They were participating in an online event organised by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc) titled `Debate on Elimination of All the Forms of Child Labour`.

MNA Riaz Fatyana said that society downplays the seriousness of child domestic work.

`People see no harm in a seven-year-old maid babysitting a three-year-Old child of her employer or looking af ter pets.

However, we must realise that these are not jobs for children. Even if child workers survive the physical and sexual violence, the emotional stress faced by them is enough to scare them for life. At this age, the only things a child should have are books and toys,` he said.

He added that people hear about heinous crimes against child labourers regularly, but still employ children as maids, servants and helpers at home and at work because it is cheaper to hire them than to hire adults.

Sparc Executive Director Sajjad Ahmed Cheema expressed concern about the alarming number of cases of abuse against child domestic workers and called for a complete ban on hiring children as domestic...