Strong condemnation of the murder of Shazia; Enforcement of Child Labors laws demanded: NCJP

Lahore, Pakistan: January 25, 2010, (PCTV Newsdesk)

The National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), a human rights body of the Catholic Church of Pakistan strongly condemned the murder of the house maid, Shazia, a resident of Lahore. There are more than 10 millions child laborers in the country that is the obvious violation of Child Labor Laws.

In a joint statement, Chairperson of NCJP Archbishop Lawrence John Saldanha and Peter Jacob, the Executive Secretary said that this is not a lone incident of violence rather the domestic servants are subjected to extreme violence. Both the Provincial and Federal Governments failed to prevent such incidents effectively. Physical violence matted out to domestic labor was a common place.  They stressed the government to affectively enforce the Child Labor Laws in the country moreover prosecute and bring the culprits to justice through a speedy course of action.

Identifying the growing poverty and unemployment as the primary contributor to this situation, the statement said that violent behaviors should be understood as abnormality and if people observe the violent attitudes in their surroundings, such trends should be discouraged and people must be considered.

NCJP further demanded that Government should take measures to provide the free and compulsory education till matriculation to end child labor and build a better society.  They also demanded the Government to proceed with legislation on the ‘Domestic Violence Bill’ immediately to help the situation.

National Commission for Justice and Peace
Pakistan