Chained

According to the 2020 Global Slavery Index report, Pakistan ranks eighth on the list of countries with the highest prevalence of modern slavery. Our country is a silent spectator of the worst labour exploitation. More than five million people are working in brick kilns under harmful conditions. Workers are kept in debt bondage. Since many of them don’t have access to legal support or any awareness, they keep working under squalid conditions. What is even worse is the fact that many children are also a victim of this modern-day slavery. In major cities, children are forced to beg. Some influential people are involved in these crimes which make it difficult for the rights activists and other people to report to the authorities concerned. Even the so-called educated people of our society treat their domestic helpers as slaves. Despite having laws against child labour and bonded labour, Pakistan has failed to put an end to labour exploitation. For the country, the lack of implementation of laws is a great obstacle in achieving its goal of the elimination of modern slavery by 2030. The government has failed to provide any protection or any welfare scheme for bonded labourers. It is time the government took strict actions against the people who keep labourers in debt bondage. The government must provide awareness, security and easy access to the justice system to labourers. Everyone is equal before the law and deserves to live with dignity.

Motia Sikandar

Karachi