While the world observes World Day Against Child Labour today, thousands of children across Karachi are trapped in a life of abuse, hardship, and exploitation — hidden in plain sight at mechanic workshops spread across the city.
From the congested lanes of Korangi, Landhi, Malir, Patel Para, Saddar, Teen Hatti, Liaquatabad, Lyari, Mehmoodabad, to Orangi, every neighborhood with auto repair shops tells a silent story of child labor and unchecked abuse. These mechanic shops — whether fixing motorcycles, cars, or heavy vehicles — are manned not just by mechanics but also by young boys, often as young as 7 or 8 years old, working as “chotoo.”
At each of these shops, it is common to find at least two underage boys performing heavy and dangerous tasks. But it’s not just the physical labor that burdens them. Many of these children are exposed to constant verbal abuse, frequently addressed with foul language and harsh treatment by their so-called ‘ustaad’ — the senior mechanics. The situation escalates beyond words: physical punishment is routine, and horrifyingly, cases of sexual harassment and abuse have also been reported, though rarely addressed.
Most of these children come from extreme poverty, raised by single parents or orphaned, with no access to education or basic healthcare. Their vulnerability makes them easy targets for exploitation. Many are unregistered, undocumented, and voiceless, forced to work under inhumane conditions to simply survive.
No one knows how many of these children exist. We don’t know what they earn, what they eat, where they sleep, or how many diseases they’re silently suffering from.
There are no official surveys, no welfare checks, and no accountability. Karachi — a city of over 20 million — has become a hotspot of such hidden child labor, especially in the unregulated informal sector.
Why has this issue remained unaddressed for so long? Why have these children been left to the mercy of abusers? And most importantly — where is the protection system meant to safeguard their future?
On this World Day Against Child Labour, urgent and concrete steps are needed:
1- The Government of Sindh must launch an immediate citywide survey of all mechanic workshops.
2- Child laborers identified must be rescued and rehabilitated.
3- Legal action should be taken against those involved in exploiting or abusing children.
4- Recovered children must be enrolled in schools, given medical and psychological care, and supported through government-run child protection programs.
These children are not just victims of poverty, they are victims of state neglect and social apathy.
As we raise awareness on this day, let’s not allow it to pass as just another event. Let this be the beginning of real change — so that no child in Karachi or anywhere in Pakistan has to live under the shadow of abuse for the price of a meal.
Because every child deserves more than just survival — they deserve a safe, healthy, and hopeful childhood.
