I am a 15-year old daily-wage sanitation worker. I sweep the streets of Karachi and above me are at least three tiers of contractors and subcontractors. I am paid an illegal wage of Rs15000 per month and made to work for 30 days every month. Words like democracy, constitution, and rule of law are irrelevant and meaningless jargon for me. The only reality I know is that me, my family, and millions like us have been collectively deceived and exploited by our greedy and inept leaders for the past 76 years.
Where is the democracy, constitution and rule of law, when I am denied even a single day of entry into a school, used as child labour, paid less than half the minimum wage and denied a pension? I humbly ask the government to please allow ‘None Of The Above’ option for all citizens on their ballot papers, so that they can reject the perennial plunderers of Pakistan when it is time to vote.
Ghulam Hussain
Sanitation Worker
Karachi