BAHAWALPUR, Dec 4: Office bearers of the children rights committee have demanded of the government to strictly enforce the child labour laws.

The demand was made on Saturday by committee coordinator Sheikh Khursheed Ahmed and society for the protection of rights of children (SPARC) incharge Ms Nadia Gul while talking to newsmen in connection with the anti-labour children week being observed here.

They lamented that the children's anti-labour laws were being violated by a number of institutions, including industrial concerns.

According to the ILO's report 1990-98, they said around 15 million children were engaged in forced labour in Pakistan. Out of this, they added, some 6.3 million children were doing labour in the Punjab.

They said the situation was unsatisfactory due to the non-implementation of laws. They said under the anti-labour (children) law, the vigilance committees should be constituted in all the districts but no such committee existed in the Bahawalpur district.

Presently, they said about 23 million children were engaged in the forced labour out of whom 8.6 per cent were between the age of five and 14 years.

They said around 80 per cent brick kilns were without registration and there was an urgent need that these kilns should also be brought under this law.

BAIL EXTENDED: A local court on Saturday extended the interim bails before arrest of 15 PML-N activists, including former MNAs and MPAs, till Dec 18.

The accused, included former MNAs Chaudhry Mumtaz Ahmed Jajja and Aqeelur Rehman, MPAs Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar and Mohtarma Parveen Masood Bhatti, former Punjab parliamentary secretary and Punjab PML vice-president Samiullah Chaudhry.

Their interim bails were extended as city president Ghulam Rasool Chacha could not appear before court because he sustained injuries in a road accident. He sent his medical certificate to the court.

Sadar police had registered a case against them under 16-MPO for chanting slogans against president Pervez Musharraf and holding a protest meeting at the residence of MPA Malik Iqbal Channar on Oct 12 last.

EXAMINATIONS: Primary and middle standard examinations will commence on Feb 15 and Feb 23, respectively.

According to an official announcement, the last date for submission of admission forms for both examinations has been fixed Dec 15.