SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF CHILD LABOUR IN COAL MINES IN BALOCHISTAN

Abstract

The major purpose of this paper is to know the level of child labor in coal fields at Tehsil Mach, as Balochistan is the most backward province of Pakistan where literacy rate is very much low as compare to other provinces Balochistan has low life style in all fields of life, though it is the biggest province in terms of land but least populated province also, Balochistan is very much rich in its minerals, low literacy is not the only reason behind the child labor, poverty can be the other major source of child labor in province, it has the highest rank in poverty also, According to one report by ILO in 2013 that some 500 children are working in Loralai coal fields, the situation is very much similar in other coal fields of Balochistan including Mach coal fields, the children are found in all coal mines at Mach coal fields while working to support their families financially, the child labor is found inside and outside the black hole while prone to all hazards, working at coal fields without any safety kits and prone to all disease which are caused by coal dust, The children are mostly from Tehsil Mach but other than this the children from KPK and Afghanistan are also seen in coal fields, the children in coal fields are not safe from all type of hazards, their rights are being violated and they are exploited physically and sexually, the child labor is seen due to many reasons at coal fields the major reason is seen as poverty, health and safety issues are being faced by the children, the children at Mach fields are deprived from the all basic rights such as education, health, entertainment, the heavy work is being taken from them while working six to eight hours at coal fields. Key words: Child labor, Coal Mine, Chronic Diseases, Poverty.