Like many other Asian countries, child labour is a serious issue in Pakistan, where children can be seen working in tea shops, auto workshops, factories, on the streets, and in homes.

This year, an animated film titled ‘Under the Blaze’ will be released, focusing on the lives of children working in brick kilns. The film aims to raise awareness about the critical issue of child labour.

The animated movie tells the story of children’s lives while working in brick kilns in Pakistan. such children toil from morning until evening, leaving them unable to pursue their other desires or activities.

Awais Shaukat, a Fine Arts student at the National College of Arts in Lahore, has written and directed the film. He began his journey in digital art at the age of 15 and is known for his skills.

The story of the film has been shaped by real events, with Shaukat and his team visiting various brick kilns and interviewing different families to develop the narrative.

Shaukat shared that whenever they visited a kiln, the children working there would always disappear upon seeing them, fearing they were associated with any government department.

He emphasised that they chose animation as a medium to highlight the issue, as “it is an effective way to present the story compellingly.”

The movie is in the pre-production stage, with the storyboard, character designs, and script already completed. It aims to raise awareness about the issue of child labour and its consequences. It is planned to be showcased at international film festivals next year.

While there are laws regarding child labour in Sindh, recent reports show that the child labour rate in Karachi is as low as 2.38% whereas it is alarmingly high at 30.8% in Qambar Shahdadkot. Other districts report varying rates: Ghotki at 17.6%, Khairpur at 9%, Shikarpur at 20.2%, Tharparkar at 29%, Badin at 7.2%, and Thatta at 23%.