Joint efforts urged to end modern slavery

LAHORE

Speakers at a conference have stressed the need of making joint and concerted efforts at all levels for eradicating modern day slavery from the country after the Global Slavery Index 2014 estimated 2,059,200 people were enslaved in Pakistan, ranking Pakistan in the top five countries.

Former Information Minister Samsam Bukhari said that child and forced marriages, bonded labour, human trafficking and domestic servitude were the most widely used methods of enslaving people around the world. He said that ending modern slavery and forced labour was a noble mission.

He shared that the government needed to contribute more in taking measures for eradicating modern day slavery.

Human Rights Activists Amna Akhsheed, Syeda Ghulam Fatima and IA Rehman shared their experiences on miseries of survivors of modern slavery in the country.

IA Rehman said there was a serious threat to humanity. He argued that the Global Slavery Index 2014 estimated 2,059,200 people were enslaved in Pakistan, ranking Pakistan in the top five countries with the highest number of people in modern slavery in absolute terms.

An NGO arranged the first ever ‘End Slavery Conference’ at a local hotel with the aim to bring all stakeholders on one platform to devise strategy for eradicating modern day slavery in all forms.

Parliamentarians, representatives of civil society organisations, government departments, human rights activists, media and people from various walks of life attended the event.

Founding General partner of the White Sand Investor Group Elliott Donnelley said that it was essential to help the marginalised.

He shared that United Nations had set goals and targets to end slavery in Sustainable Development Goals (Goal 8).  

Dr Maria Zulfiqar shared that the media could have positive influence and play a decisive role in mobilising the people against such social evils. She said the role of media was also critical in the process of effective legislative measure as recognised by policymakers and others in power.

Ahmed Waleed said that effective media engagement would contribute in bringing long lasting impacts of the work of NGO and would support sustaining the efforts.