IHC seeks implementation report on recommendations against forced labor at brick kilns

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday directed the deputy commissioner Islamabad to ensure that no one was working forcibly due to the advance loans at brick kilns and also make a strategy to aware every laborer about his rights.

The court also directed deputy commissioner to appoint an officer to visit every brick kiln and sought implementation report on commission’s recommendations about forced labor.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah, hearing the case, remarked that the laborers were not bound to return the money taken as advance from the kiln owners. The advance loan was an illegal act, he said.

The court also appointed the Islamabad High Court Journalists’ Association (IHCJA) as amicus curiae in the case and stated that such issues must be highlighted in media. Why such important issues were neglected by media when even it used to telecast the minor political issues all the day, the court questioned.

During hearing, the participants of commission set up on forced labor including Adnan Randhava, Umder Gilani and Daniyal Aziz produced commission’s report comprising 71 pages to the court.

The court asked that whether the state had freed all people from the advance loans.

Justice Minallah said that a message should be conveyed to every laborer that he was not a slave instead he was a free citizen.

The court directed the government to ensure that there would be no remaining case of forced labor till next date.

The commission report said that the act of advance money to the kilns laborers’ was illegal as it was a new form of slavery in modern era.

All laborers were free and able to disconnect their jobs at bricks’ kilns at any time.

The advance loan was an illegal act and the laborers were not bound to pay this, the judge remarked.

The commission also recommended to issue CNICs to kiln laborers and stated that these laborers were even deprived of basic rights.

The report further recommended that the children fewer than 14 year age shouldn’t be permitted to work at brick kilns.

A magistrate should be named to hear the cases under labor laws.

The court on the occasion summoned the IHCJA’s President Saqib Bashir Chaudhry at rostrum who stated that the journalists would play their role to highlight such issues.

The court adjourned hearing on the case with above instructions.