1. Short title, extent and commencement.__
(1) This Act may be called the Children
(Pledging of Labour) Act, 1933.
2
[(2) It extends to the whole of Pakistan.]
(3) This section and sections 2 and 3 shall come into force at once, and the remaining sections of
this Act shall come into force on the first day of July, 1933.
2. Definitions. In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,__
“an agreement to pledge the labour of a child” means an agreement, written or oral, express or
implied, whereby the parent or guardian of a child, in return for any payment or benefit received
or to be received by him, undertakes to cause or allow the services of the child to be utilised in any
employment:
Provided that an agreement made without detriment to a child, and not made in consideration
of any benefit other than reasonable wages to be paid for the child's services, and terminable at not
more than a week’s notice, is not an agreement within the meaning of this definition;
“child” means a person who is under the age of fifteen years ; and
“guardian” includes any person having legal custody of or control over a child.
1 For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Gazette of India, 1932, Pt. V, page 195.
This Act has been extended to the
__
(i) Leased Areas of Baluchistan, see the Leased Areas (Laws) Order, 1950 (G.G.O. 3 of 1950) and also applied in the Federated Areas of Baluchistan, see Gazette of India, 1937,
Pt.I.p.1499;
(ii) Baluchistan States Union, see the Baluchistan States Union (Federal Laws) (Extension) Order, 1953 (G.G.O. 4 of 1953),as amended;
(iii) Khairpur State, see the khairpur (Federal Laws) (Extension) Order, 1953 (G.G.O. 5 of 1953), as amended; and
(iv)State of Bahawalpur by the Bahawalpur (Extension of Federal Laws) Order, 1953 (G.G.O. 11 of 1953).
The Act have been and shall be deemed to have been brought into force in Gwadur with ef ect from the 8
th September, 1958, by the Gwadur (Application of Central Laws)
Ordinance, 1960 (37 of 1960),s.2.
This Act has been applied to the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas of Baluchistan Government Notifin. No.S.O. (T.A.)3/21/72, dt.371979, see Baluchistan Gazette 1979, Ext.
(Issue No.69).
2 Subs. by the Central Laws (Statute Reform) Ordinance, 1960 (21 of 1960),s.3 and 2
nd Sch. , (with ef ect from the 15
th October,1955), for the original subsection (2), as amended
by A.O., 1949, and the Federal Laws (Revision and Declaration) Act, 1951 (26 of 1951),s.8.
Page 2 of 4
3. Agreements contrary to the Act to be void. An agreement to pledge the labour of a child
shall be void.
4. Penalty for parent or guardian making agreement to pledge the labour of a child. Whoever, being the parent or guardian of a child, makes an agreement to pledge the labour of that
child, shall be punished with fine which may extend to fifty rupees.
5. Penalty for making with a parent or guardian an agreement to pledge the labour of a
child. Whoever makes with the parent or guardian of a child an agreement whereby such
parent or guardian pledges the labour of the child shall be punished with fine which may extend to
two hundred rupees.
6. Penalty for employing a child whose labour has been pledged. Whoever, knowing or
having reason to believe that an agreement has been made to pledge the labour of a child, in
furtherance of such agreement employs such child, or permits such child to be employed in any
premises or place under his control, shall be punished with fine which may extend to two hundred
rupees.