63 bonded labourers recovered from kiln

LAHORE: Sixty-three bonded labourers have been recovered from a brick-kiln in Basti Pir Ismail near Multan following a writ petition filed by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

In May, the HRCP received a complaint from Saghar Hussain, a resident of Basti Pir Ismail, saying that a brick-kiln owner in the area had sold his kiln along with 63 kiln workers for Rs1800,000. The new owner was found to have illegally detained the workers. The HRCP Multan office filed a writ petition before the Lahore High Court Multan Bench for the recovery of the detained workers.

Justice Asjad Javed Gural directed the SHO PS Makhdoom Rasheed to recover and produce all 63 workers before the court on 14 June (Friday). The court order was complied with and the bonded labourers released on the direction of Justice Sadiq Khurram.

Despite the passage of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act of 1992, the practice of bonded labour continues, especially in southern Punjab and Sindh. The HRCP urged upon the provincial governments to ensure that the district vigilance committees set up to implement the 1992 Act are operational and able to execute their mandate effectively.