CM for due status to labourers

LAHORE: Chief Minister Dr Hasan Askari has said the target of durable socio-economic development cannot be achieved without giving due status to the working class as labourers play a pivotal role in giving sound foundations to the national economy.

He said trained human resource was the backbone of trade and industrial sectors. He stated this while talking to Provincial Minister for Labour and Human Resource Nauman Kabir at his office on Thursday. During the meeting, different issues pertaining to the performance of public sector departments and other official matters came under discussion.

The chief minister said that constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan guarantees protection of rights of labourers and added that Punjab government was giving full attention to improve the lot of the working class. It is the responsibility of the government to give labourers and the disfranchised segments their due status in society. He said provision of quality educational and healthcare facilities to the labourers and industrial workers was among the governmental priorities. There is no doubt that the exploiters of rights of labourers and industrial workers can never socially excel, he maintained. He said that trained human resource played an important role in giving sound foundations to the economy. Keeping this thing in view, there is a need to give special attention to train and educate the human resource according to global market needs so that Pakistani workforce could be accommodated in local and international markets. He said that continuous implementation of skills development programme is imperative for providing qualitative training to the human resource. Similarly, protection of rights of labourers and industrial workers should be ensured. Steps should be taken to stop exploitation of rights of the brick-kiln workers, he added.

Dr Askari said that child labour was a menace and the government had to eliminate it with solid steps. He said that livestock sector had tremendous potentials to benefit the country and its sustained development would tremendously benefit the economy. He said the livestock sector could be developed by properly utilising modern technology and expertise. Steps are needed to be taken to increase the production of milk and meat, he added. It is the need of the hour to take full benefit of the opportunities available in agriculture, livestock and other sectors. Improving the standard of training is also imperative for increasing the production in these sectors, concluded the chief minister.

Provincial Minister Nauman Kabir apprised the chief minister about the performance of labour, human resource, livestock and transport departments. Tribute: Dr Hasan Askari has said the credit of eliminating leprosy from the country goes to the untiring efforts and passionate commitment of Dr Ruth Pfau. She has set an example which is worth-following in Pakistan and rest of the world, the chief minister said in his message issued here on Thursday on the first death anniversary of Dr Ruth Pfau. He paid rich tributes to her wonderful services for the elimination of leprosy and TB from Pakistan and said that she had given respect and honour to the human beings by serving the ailing humanity without caring for differences of caste, colour or creed.