QUETTA, June 17: The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc) took out a procession here on Sunday in protest against child labour and urged the government to legislate and implement laws aimed at controlling the menace.

The protesters started marching from the Child Rights Club and gathered outside the Quetta Press Club. The participants included teachers, school children and representatives of the civil society.

Hanif Panezai of Sparc and regional director of the Ministry of Human Rights, Saeed Ahmed Khan, said that about 10 to 12 million children had been working as child labour in the country.

They regretted that no practical steps were being taken to legislate and enact laws to put a halt to the menace.

They said that it was the provinces’ responsibility after the passage of 18th Amendment to enact laws to control child labour within their jurisdictions.

They said that some children working as labourers at mechanical and auto workshops, restaurants, factories and transport terminals were subjected to sexual abuse.