The Youngest Activist-IQBAL MASIH

IQBAL MASIH was born in Mureedkay in 1983.His mother was a labourer in a carpet factory.When Iqbal was four years old his mother was indebted of 600pkr by the owner of the factory.When she could not pay the debt,the factory owner as an alternative to debt bounded 6years Iqbal Masih as labour in his factory.Masih had to work 12/7.At that time Masih was 4ft with 20kg weight.During 12hrs he was allowed to recess for only 30min.For only 15pkr daily wage the interest of the debt increased day by day.Besides Masih there were thousands of Childern which were forcefully laboured and were chained so that they would not ran of the work.

At the age of 10 Iqbal Masih ran from the factory when he came to know that Supreme Court has abandoned labor for debt.Police arrested him and handed over to the factory owner Arshad.He upside down Masih and did brutal violent violence on the little poor body.Now Iqbal was again in the factory with teared heart.For the second time Iqbal Masih ran again and this time he went to a school which was established by a welfare institution.This school was not only giving people relief from labor for debt but also take care and focus on the education of the children.In this school Iqbal Masih completed a four years course in just two years.After this 12yrs old Iqbal Masih started delivering short speeches in the whole world including US.

With his efforts and speeches not only in other countries but only in Pakistan 4000 victims of child labor were released.Iqbal wanted to become an advocate by profession.He was called by America and Sweden for delivering speeches.This 12years boy was appearing as a twinkling star of Pakistan.The world was seeing the positive aspect of Pakistan in the form of Iqbal Masih.In 1994 while receiving Human Rights Award in Houston he said.

''I am one of the lac of Children who are victims of child labor in Pakistan.But i am freed due to the bounded labor liberation front.After getting rid of the child labor i am studying in the school of BLLF.Today BLLF has done such an unforgettable favor for obsessed children like me as Abraham Lincoln has done for you people.Today you are free and i am also free''.

On 16th April 1993 Iqbal Masih was on the 13th year of his age and was just come to his village after receiving human rights award.He was playing and riding bicycle with his friends and the tears bursting interval came when a heroin addicted man opened fire and murdered Masih brutally. The flower wilt before it blossom.Though the parents of Masih did not blame Carpet Mafia for his killing but the BLLF founder Ehsan Ullah accused carpet mafia Arshad for Masih's muder because Iqbal was the reason of freedom of hundreds of children from his factory.Iqbal Mashih was praised with many awards in his life and after his life.Seeking the efforts of Iqbal Masih a welfare society "Free the Children'' was established in Canada.Their inspiration was Iqbal Masih and they established 20 schools in Pakistan.In 1994 Iqbal addressed grade seven students in a school of US state Messachusetts.When those children were told about Masih's murder they collected funds and established a school in Pakistan.An English writer Francesco D Admo wrote a book ''Iqbal''.In 1994 Iqbal Masih was awarded Human Rights Award.In 1996 Spain and South America decided to celebrate 16April the death anniversary of Masih as a day against Child labor.In 1998 an infant society in Italy established a number of schools assigning name ''Iqbal''.In 2000 American Congress initiated a new award named as ''IQBAL MASIH AWARD''.The purpose of award was to assign it to those who degrade child labor.On 16 April 2012 a crossroad in Santiago was named ''Iqbal'' on 17th death anniversary of Iqbal Masih.In 2014 Kailash Satyarthi was awarded Nobel Prize and in his speech he dedicated this Award to IQBAL MASIH.Unfortunately in 1994 Pakistanis were considering him American's agent and as usual a Jewish conspiracy behind Masih.