Act II of 1933 · 3 pages
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Updated till 21.02.2023
THE CHILDREN (PLEDGING OF LABOUR) ACT, 1933
CONTENTS
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SECTIONS:
1. Short title, extent and commencement.
2. Definitions.
3. Agreements contrary to the Act to be void.
4. Penalty for parent or guardian making agreement to pledge the labour of a child.
5. Penalty for making with the parent or guardian an agreement to pledge the labour of a
child.
6. Penalty for employing a child whose labour has been pledged.
THE CHILDREN (PLEDGING OF LABOUR) ACT, 1933
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ACT NO. II OF 1933
[24th February, 1933]
An Act to prohibit the pledging of the labour of children
WHEREAS it is expedient to prohibit the making of agreements to pledge the labour of
children, and the employment of children whose labour has been pledged; It is hereby enacted as
follows:—
1. Short title, extent and commencement.⸻ (1) This Act may be called the Children
(Pledging of Labour) Act, 1933.
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[(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.
3. Agreements contrary to the Act to be void. An agreement to pledge the labour of a child
shall be void.
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[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 punishable with fine which shall not be less than five thousand rupees and may extend
to twenty thousand rupees.]
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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 effect from the 8th 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.3-7-
1979, see Baluchistan Gazette 1979, Ext. (Issue No.69).
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Subs. by the Central Laws (Statute Reform) Ordinance, 1960 (21 of 1960), s.3 and 2nd Sch., (with effect from the 15th October,1955), for the
original sub-section (2), as amended by A.O., 1949, and the Federal Laws (Revision and Declaration) Act, 1951 (26 of 1951), s.8.
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Subs. by the children (pledging of labour) (Amdt.) (Act No. XXXII of 2022) Act, 2022, s.2 (Applicable to the extent of Islamabad Capital Territory).
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[5. Penalty for making with the 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 punishable with imprisonment which may extend to
six months or fine which shall not be less than twenty thousand rupees and may extend to fifty thousand
rupees or both, and on every subsequent conviction, the imprisonment shall not be less than six months
or fine which shall not be less than fifty thousand rupees or both.]
1[6. Penalty for employing a child whose labour has been pledged. Whoever, knowing or
having reasons 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 punishable with imprisonment which may extend to six
months or fine which shall not be less than twenty thousand rupees and may extend to fifty thousand
rupees or both, and on every subsequent conviction, the imprisonment shall not be less than six months
or fine which shall not be less than fifty thousand rupees or both.]
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Subs. by the children (Pledging of Labour) (Amdt.) (Act No. XXXII of 2022) Act, 2022, ss. 3 & 4 (Applicable to the extent of Islamabad
Capital Territory).
Source: Pakistan Code, Ministry of Law and Justice (pakistancode.gov.pk). Text on this page is reproduced verbatim from the official PDF and is provided for reference only. For the authoritative version, always consult the source document or a current reported edition.
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