Islamabad: The Federal Constitutional Court on Thursday expressed serious concern over the rising incidents of child abduction, forced labour and organised begging across Pakistan, directing the federal and provincial governments to submit comprehensive reports on the issue.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi observed that children as young as eight to ten years were openly engaged in labour and stressed that it was the state's responsibility to protect them and provide viable alternatives.

During the hearing, the bench sought detailed data on the number of children involved in begging and child labour, observing that the government should compile complete statistics to determine the true scale of the problem.

Justice Rizvi remarked that children were being subjected to forced labour, while organised groups were profiting from making children beg. He clarified that the court was not directing authorities to simply remove children from the streets, but rather to formulate a sustainable solution.

Referring to an anti-begging campaign in Karachi about 25 years ago, the court noted that merely detaining children had failed to resolve the issue, adding that many child labourers were driven by compelling socioeconomic circumstances.

The bench suggested that the government establish shelter homes for vulnerable children where they could receive care as well as vocational training to enable them to earn a dignified livelihood.

During the proceedings, the petitioner also sought records relating to the Zainab Alert system. The court observed that incidents of child abduction, particularly involving girls, had not declined significantly despite existing measures.

The Federal Constitutional Court directed the federal and provincial governments to submit detailed reports on child abductions, begging and child labour, and adjourned further hearing of the case for two months.