Sialkot: (Parliament Times) “Elimination of Child Labor is the pride achievement of Sialkot Sports Goods Industry which has been achieved as a result of complete commitment and integrated efforts of the industry”. This was stated by Qaisar Iqbal Baryar, President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry, at the seminar jointly organized by Employers Federation of Pakistan and International Labor Organization (ILO) in Sialkot to highlight the efforts for elimination of Child Labor in Sports Goods Industry.
Mt Baryar congratulated EFP and ILO for organizing the very timely seminar that is aimed at disseminating the enlightened work done by the Sports Goods Industry of Sialkot in combating the issue of Child Labor and said that it was the most appropriate time to replicate the good practices in other sectors of industry in Sialkot.
Earlier Zaki Ahmed Khan, Vice President EFP, in his welcome address, gave the back ground of Child Labor issue in Sialkot and explained that the purpose of this seminar was to create awareness among business and other stake holders on the gravity of child labor issue and to find the ways and means to combat the issue. He thanked the ILO and Sialkot Chamber for their cooperation with EFP in the MNED project which is aimed at promoting more and better jobs through socially responsible labor practices in Sports Goods Industry of Sialkot.
The seminar was attended by the representatives of Sialkot Sports Gods Industry, PREGMA, Textile and Garments, Hosiery Manufacturers, Leather and Tannery industry was addressed by prominent sports goods industry leaders included Nasir Dogar, CEO of IMAC, Ahsan Naeem, CEO Vision Technologies, Maj Khawaja Javaid(R) Director Forward Group, and Ms. Anita Akhtar representing Anwar Khawaja Industry. They shared the experiences and efforts made by the industry and expressed the opinion that what they achieved should be successfully replicated and implemented in other sectors of industry in Sialkot and other cities.
In the concluding session Ijaz Khokhar, Chief Coordinator PRGMEA, Dr. Nauman Butt, CEO Capital Sports, Majyd Aziz, Ex-President of EFP and Saghir Bukhari, Senior Specialist of ILO also spoke on the occasion and highlighted and complimented the efforts of Sports Goods Industry in pragmatically addressing the issue of Child Labor.
