Child labour in Pakistan remains a structurally embedded challenge, especially within the private sector where informal, home-based, and subcontracted production systems dominate. Despite constitutional protections, significant implementation gaps and weak enforcement continue to undermine prevention and monitoring, particularly in sectors like agriculture, brick kilns, and domestic work. This issue is driven primarily by poverty, household vulnerability, and barriers to education, which are reinforced by fragmented legal frameworks and weak alignment between labour and education laws. Institutional fragmentation and non-integrated data systems further limit accountability, while evolving supply chains allow child labour to shift into less visible tiers.
Addressing these challenges requires a coordinated, systems-based approach integrating legal reform, enforcement, and private-sector accountability. Priority reforms include harmonizing minimum-age standards with compulsory education, expanding inspection mandates to informal and home-based sectors, and institutionalizing structured case management systems. Additionally, introducing mandatory human rights due diligence for high-risk sectors and aligning domestic systems with international compliance requirements like GSP+ are critical for long-term progress. Ultimately, eliminating child labour requires moving toward an integrated governance framework that addresses structural vulnerabilities and ensures accountability across state systems and private-sector supply chains.
Check out the full report here: AT THE MARGINS OF PROTECTION
