PAKISTAN: Complaint about Death of a Child in a Match Factory

Summary: SPARC's formal complaint against the death of
a child in a Match Factory under the
Employment of Children Act 1991.

March 24/ 2005

Mr. Khalid Jan Durrani
Director Industries, Commerce and Labor Department
Government of NWFP Peshawar

Re: Complaint against the death of a child in a Match Factory under the
Employment of Children Act 1991

Dear Mr. Durrani:

Employment of under 14 children in processes where matches, explosives
or fireworks are manufactured is prohibited under Section 3 of the
Employment of Children Act 1991. On March 17, a twelve-year-old child
Munir Khan son of Fazal Mohammad received severe burn injuries when an
explosion took place in a match factory, Pakistan Match Factory, in Risalpur
Industrial Estate on March 17. The child died on March 18 in a Peshawar
Hospital.

You are requested to investigate this tragic death, and take necessary
action, and also get the child’s family adequately compensated by the
owner of the factory.

It is further requested that the ban on child labor in match factories and
other hazardous occupations should be strictly enforced and implemented
throughout the Province.

Thanking you in anticipation and looking forward to a prompt action from
your office in this regard.

Very truly yours,

Arshad Mahmood
Deputy National Coordinator

CC: Chief Minister’s Secretariat
Personal Secretary to Minister for Labor
Labor Officer, District Nowshera
Coordinator CRC Nowshera
DPO Nowshera

Country: 

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