KP Assembly passes law to ban bonded labour

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a bill prohibiting bonded labour system in the province to prevent the economic and physical exploitation of the workers.
The bill is named Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 2015 and shall come into force at once in the whole province.The bill basically repealed the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1992 (Act No III of 1992).
Its objectives are to provide for prohibition of slavery and debt bondage in all of its manifestations and regulating matters leading to debt bondage of workers. The law relating to the prohibition of debt bondage has been devolved to the province in the wake of 18th Constitutional Amendment 2010.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Parliamentary Secretary Arif Yousuf introduced the bill, which was unanimously passed by the assembly.Some of the salient features of the 28-article bill read that bonded labour system shall stand abolished and every bonded labourer shall be free and discharged from any obligation to render any bonded labour.
It said no person shall make any advance under, or in pursuance of, the bonded labour system or compel any person to render bonded or forced labour; any custom or tradition, practice or contract and agreement making a person or his family member bound to work or render service as a bonded labourer shall be void and inoperative.
The bill said liability to repay bonded debt to stand extinguished; no advance shall be extended or taken for extracting or rendering any labour under bonded labour system; property of bonded labour to be freed from mortgage; and creditor not to accept payment against extinguished debt.
The bill also mentioned the authorities to be specified for implementing the provisions of the act; duty of the authorised officers, inspectors, maintenance and production of records, punishment for enforcement of bonded labour, punishment for extracting bonded labour, punishment for omission or failure to restore possession of property to bonded labourer, punishment for obstructing inspector and abetment to be an officer.
It also said vigilance committees shall be set up at the district level and a 1st class magistrate shall try an offence under this act.The assembly also passed the bill to amend the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Establishment of Information Technology Board Act 2011.
The new Act will be called KP Establishment of Information Technology Board (Amendment) Act 2015 and shall be enforced at once in the province. The amendment was necessitated as a result of 18th constitutional amendment.