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Child marriages and child labour are on the rise in Sindh, with shocking figures disclosed by the Sindh government.
According to a recent survey by the Sindh School Education and Literacy Department, 2.38% of children in Karachi are forced into work, while the situation is worse in Hyderabad division, where the figure jumps to 4.5%.
The report highlights the concerning prevalence of child marriages in the region. In Karachi, 15.4% of children are married off early, with the number rising to 17.4% in Hyderabad and a staggering 40.2% in Umerkot. Other districts also report alarming figures: Dadu (42.9%), Thatta (23.8%), Sujawal (22.2%), Badin (30.8%), Tharparkar (36.4%), Shikarpur (38.6%), Khairpur (28.8%), Ghotki (37.7%), Mirpurkhas (35.5%), Naushahro Feroze (28.8%), Jamshoro (26.7%), Tando Allahyar (32.4%), Tando Muhammad Khan (14.4%), Sukkur (32.6%), Matiari (29.2%), Jacobabad (46.3%), and Sanghar (34.7%).
Despite the Sindh Assembly passing the Child Marriages Restraint Act in 2014, which sets the legal marriage age at 18, implementation remains inconsistent. This legal gap, coupled with deep-rooted tribal customs, continues to perpetuate these harmful practices.
Sindh also faces a severe child labour crisis, with Pakistan having one of the highest rates of child labour in South Asia. The consequences of child labour are profound, including physical health risks, disruption of education, psychological trauma, and links to exploitation and trafficking.
