Author: News Desk

The findings of Pakistan’s first-ever economic census reveal that the country has over 600,000 mosques (masjids), 36,000 religious seminaries (madrassahs), and 23,000 factories, along with 643,000 small production units.

The report was released by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal during a ceremony organised by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on August 21 this year.

The findings indicate that the services sector accounts for 45 per cent of the total workforce, debunking the myth that industry is the primary source of employment in the country.

The economic census also revealed that out of a total of 40 million permanent units in Pakistan, there were about 7.2 million employment structures where 25.4 million people were working as of 2023.

Out of a total workforce of 25.4 million, the largest proportion is engaged in the services sector, accounting for 45 per cent or 11.3 million, making it the largest proportion of the workforce engaged in the sector, according to the report. 

The workforce in the social sector is 30 per cent or 7.6 million. The production sector employed only 22 per cent of the total workforce, which is half the number of people working in the services sector.

Punjab tops the list with a workforce of 13.6 million, leading in both the services and production sectors. Sindh ranks second with 5.7 million workers, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with 4 million, while Balochistan lags behind with just 1.4 million workers.

The number of firms employing between 51 and 250 is merely 35,351, while there are only 7,086 units that employ more than 250 people, according to the report.

The report also showed that there were 242,000 schools, mostly government-run; 11,568 colleges, with a slightly higher share in the private sector; 214 universities; 604,000 mosques; 19,645 banks; 29,836 public offices; and 10,452 semi-government offices in the country. Overall, Punjab leads in both public and private institutions.

The report further shows that Pakistan’s infrastructure is predominantly residential, with limited focus on mixed-use or exclusively commercial buildings, while Sindh holds the largest share of multi-story residential structures.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that a child is not a “passive recipient” of adult decisions amid his or her parent’s divorce, going on to state that a mother’s employment does not diminish her suitability as a custodian.

According to journalist Benazir Shah, the apex court, in a recent order authored by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah regarding the custody of children after parents’ divorce, ruled that a child was not a passive recipient but an active rights-holder whose voice must be heard when determining custody or guardianship.

The court also ruled on what a mother’s employment meant in the case of a custody battle. “More importantly the judgement added that a mother’s employment does not diminish her suitability as a custodian,” Shah wrote in a post on X.

She further quoted the court as saying that a mother’s employment reflected her resilience and commitment to providing a secure, nurturing and dignified upbringing for her children.

“While fully mindful of the limited scope of our review jurisdiction, we deemed it necessary to revisit the matter in light of two foundational principles enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC): Article 3, which mandates that the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration in all actions concerning them; and Article 12, which guarantees every child the right to express their views freely in all matters affecting them, with due weight given in accordance with their age and maturity,” read the ruling, a copy of which is available with The Current.

Referring to failure in providing the children an opportunity to be heard, the court said it found it imperative to re-examine the case to ensure that their rights were not only acknowledged but meaningfully upheld. “To rectify this oversight and to ensure that the children’s welfare and perspectives were given due consideration, this court deemed it necessary to interact directly with both children involved.”

The top court also stressed the importance of the child’s voice, justice and the judicial obligation to apply a child-centered framework.

“We underline that a child must be heard so that her best interests can be properly understood and protected. The participation of a child in legal proceedings is not a formality; it is fundamental to a justice system that respects the dignity and agency of the child. Listening to the voice of a child gives them a sense of worth, inclusion, and trust in the judicial process,” it said, adding that listening to a child did not mean obeying them, but rather understanding their perspective deeply enough to act in their best interests.

On mothers’ employment as a factor in determination of securing custody of a child, the court ruled that Article 16 ensured equality in matters of marriage and family life, including the rights and responsibilities of parents, irrespective of marital or employment status.

“General Recommendation No. 21 on equality in marriage and family relations under Article 16 specifically calls for states to ensure that custody and guardianship laws do not discriminate against women on the basis of their employment status and uphold shared responsibility of parents for child-rearing,” the court said.

It maintained that to penalise a mother for exercising her right to work would run afoul of these guarantees.