745,000 Children Engaged in Labour Across KP: Report

News Desk
Peshawar: An estimated 745,000 children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are currently trapped in various forms of child labour, raising serious concerns about their right to education, protection and play, according to a report issued by the provincial Department of Labour on Wednesday.
The children, aged between 5 and 17 years, are overwhelmingly boys, who account for nearly 70 percent of the total. The report identifies Bannu and Lower Dir as the districts with the highest number of child labour cases in the province.
In response to the alarming figures, the KP government has approved a Child Labour Action Plan, directing relevant departments to take urgent measures to ensure child protection and welfare.

Read more: https://thepenpk.com/five-face-charges-under-child-labour-act/

The plan includes the restructuring of anti–child labour units, the launch of welfare schemes for affected children and financial support programmes aimed at easing economic pressure on families.
A large proportion of these children are employed in the agriculture sector, where long hours and physically strenuous work expose them to serious physical and mental health risks.
According to the report, poverty, economic stress on families and limited access to education remain the key factors driving the persistence of child labour across the province.
Officials say the new action plan aims to reduce these vulnerabilities and reintegrate children into schools, but stress that coordinated implementation and community support will be essential for meaningful change.