ASIA/PASKISTAN - The scourge of child labor: prayer and concrete commitment of Catholic communities to eradicate it

Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – “Every Friday, as a pastoral group, we visit the brick kiln workers, pray with them and for them, in the light of the Word of God, and continue to keep a light of hope alive, because God is always with us. Among them are many children.
We pray and commit ourselves to eradicating forced labor in Pakistan, especially so that children involved in child labor can go to school and their fundamental right to education is respected.” This is what Father Qaiser Feroz OfmCap, Capuchin friar and parish priest in Bhai Pheru, in the Pakistani province of Punjab, told Fides on the occasion of the International Day Against Child Labor, celebrated on June 12. “We tell the families we meet: let us not lose hope, God will free them from forced labor, just as he freed his people from slavery in Egypt. And we, for our part, are doing everything possible to try to stop and combat the perverse mechanism of debt slavery, which keeps them prisoners,” the Franciscan friar adds. He also expresses his trust in Pope Leo XIV, noting that he chose his name in reference to the encyclical Rerum Novarum and the social doctrine of the Church: “We hope that, also thanks to the help of Pope Leo XIV, issues such as forced labor, debt slavery, and the scourge of child labor can appear on the international agenda. We hope that the Government of Pakistan will assume its responsibility in the face of these problems, which seriously affect the population.” The parish volunteer group accompanies their spiritual commitment with concrete actions: they bring gifts and food rations to 50 families of workers living in extreme poverty and employed in the clay brick kilns in Kot Radha Kishan, Harchowki, Sherpur and Bhai Pheru.
In the context of the International Day Against Child Labor, established by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 2002, Pakistan is among the countries most affected by this phenomenon. According to ILO data, more than 12 million children in the country are employed in hazardous and exploitative forms of labor, deprived of their right to education, health, and a decent future. Children work in various sectors: agriculture, brick kilns, carpet weaving, domestic services, mining, and small industries.
In urban areas such as Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, it is common to see children working in the informal sector, as street vendors or garbage collectors. In rural areas, many are employed in agricultural labor or subjected to forced labor contracts. The causes of this phenomenon are socio-economic and structural. Extreme poverty, structural inequalities, and lack of access to education force many families to rely on child labor as their sole source of income. In Pakistan, more than 22 million children are out of school, reflecting a serious education crisis. Added to this is a cultural acceptance of child labor, especially when it occurs within the family, thus contributing to perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Without training or skills, these children reach adulthood with few employment opportunities. From a legal perspective, Article 11 of the Pakistani Constitution prohibits slavery and child labor. There are also specific laws such as the Employment of Children Act (1991), the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act (1992), and the Punjab Restriction on Employment of Children Act (2016). However, the implementation of these standards is sporadic and largely ineffective. Faced with this reality, civil society organizations, religious communities—especially Christian ones—and various international NGOs play a crucial role in raising awareness and taking concrete action to try to reduce and eradicate child labor in the country. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 12/5/2025)

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child labor

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