Punjab Forced Labour: 70,000 Children Rescued

Punjab Reports Rescue Of 70,000 Children From Forced Labour

October 12, 2026

2 minute read

The Pakistan government has announced that it identified and removed more than 70,000 children from Punjab forced labour across the province, a significant step in protecting young people. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif shared the update during a high-level meeting with an International Labour Organisation delegation led by Director General Gilbert F. Houngbo.

Punjab Forced Labour Action Reaches 70,000 Children

The scale of the effort shows a clear provincial commitment to ending child exploitation. Presenting the results directly to the ILO also signals that Punjab is open to international engagement on labour standards.

Rehabilitation and Schooling Support

Rescue is only the first stage, and the provincial government has moved to support the children afterwards. Of those removed from labour, 3,644 have already been enrolled in schools, giving them a route back to education.

Dedicated rehabilitation centres and specialised helplines are also being established to sustain the progress, and these support frameworks are intended to help families and communities report exploitation and keep children from returning to work, in line with the concerns raised in Abbottabad Orders Firm Action to Protect Children From Abuse and Exploitation.

Labour Code and Wider Welfare Reforms

The initiatives are backed by structural reform, including the development of the Punjab Labour Code 2026, and the code sits alongside broader welfare measures covering minimum wages, labour colonies and worker ration cards.

Linking enforcement with education, rehabilitation and worker welfare gives the programme a more durable footing. Turning the early enrolment figure into a much larger share of rescued children would show that rescue and long-term reintegration can advance together.