Protect child rights

This newspaper has recently published a report about child labour. Child labour is a criminal offence according to our labour law, but our social structure is such that engaging children in labour has been more or less accepted by the general people.

I think we need more social awareness programmes to highlight the dangers of jobs that involve children. Unfortunately, these children, mostly from underprivileged backgrounds, don't even know their rights. 

The government should consider the task of protecting children as its priority. The government, the society, rights groups and others who believe in children's welfare must come together and fight on behalf of these children.

Zubair Khaled Huq, By email