By Zeeshan Hussain
Karachi, The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) organized a one-day football tournament in Karachi to raise awareness about child labour and promote children’s rights through sports and community engagement. Held at the Aga Khan Sports Gymkhana Ground, the event brought together four football teams from different areas of the city, encouraging youth participation and highlighting the need to protect children from exploitation.
Former Pakistan National Football Team captain Saddam Hussain attended as the chief guest and stressed the importance of sports in the healthy development of children and young people. He said sports help promote physical and mental well-being, teamwork, discipline, and social inclusion, while emphasizing that every child deserves a safe environment to learn, play, and grow. He also condemned all forms of child labour and called for collective efforts to safeguard children’s rights.
Speaking on the occasion, SPARC Project Manager Muhammad Farooq Malik said the tournament was organized to educate communities about the harmful effects of child labour and the importance of ensuring every child’s right to education, protection, and development. He also highlighted SPARC’s ongoing integrated community development project in Muhammadi Colony (Machar Colony), Karachi, which focuses on education, child protection, community mobilization, and livelihood support for vulnerable families.
SPARC noted that child labour remains a major challenge in Pakistan, with many children still engaged in hazardous and exploitative work due to poverty, limited access to education, and social inequalities. The organization reaffirmed its commitment to working with communities, government institutions, civil society organizations, and development partners to eliminate child labour and ensure that every child enjoys a safe, dignified, and prosperous childhood.
