Vice-Chairman of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Ali Hassan has said that about 20,000 poor peasants or 'haris' had been got freed from bonded labour through the efforts of the Commission.
The government had also allocated Rs 1 billion for the rehabilitation of the freed peasants, he said.
He was speaking at a workshop held here on Saturday at a hotel under the aegis of HRCP in collaboration with International Labour Organisation (ILO).
He said the 'haris' (peasants) were living a poor life as their children were deprived of basic facilities, including education, healthcare etc while the landlords enjoy these facilities.
VIGILANCE COMMITTEES: He said vigilance committees would be set up at district level under the Bonded Labour Abolition Act for providing rights to the poor 'haris'.
The Commission's Aftab Ahmed shed light on the importance and working of vigilance committees and hoped that after their formation, a platform would be available for providing justice to the poor 'haris'.
Chairman of District Safety Commission Mirpurkhas Pir Abdul Rehman Jan Sarhandi advocate stressed upon better relationship between peasants and landlords and added that he had observed in several cases that both 'haris' and landlords were responsible for damage to this relationship.
President of District Bar Association Mirpurkhas Ali Hassan Chandio said Sindhi 'haris' were poor and innocent and face different problems. He said poverty had increased in the province.
He maintained that spurious pesticides prepared in Punjab found their way into Sindh and resulted in damage to agriculture.
Akbar Laghani said government officers were in majority among the 17 members of the local Vigilance Committee and called for giving majority representation in the committee to representatives of labourers and peasants.
Haq Parast MPA Ponjo Mal Bheel maintained that peasants, particularly those of minority community, were facing oppression in Sindh while the children of 'haris' in general remained deprived of basic rights and even basic education.
Comrade Mir Mohammad Junejo, Mir Fateh Talpur, Rochi Ram advocate and others in their speeches called for immediate setting up of the vigilance committees and release of allocated Rs 100 million to the district government for starting rehabilitation work of the freed 'haris' in the province.
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