Islamabad brick kilns have to submit affidavit denying bonded labour

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Chief Commissioner has issued orders making it compulsory for all brick kiln owners to submit an affidavit denying the practice of bonded labour at kilns, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The Chief Commissioner submitted a report to the effect to Islamabad High Court (IHC) today with regard to the official order.

The high court hearing petitions with regard to bonded labour in brick kilns had earlier directed the Islamabad chief commissioner to submit a comprehensive report over the matter.

The bench comprised of Chief Justice Athar Minallah observed that the petition being dismissed after the chief commissioner’s report, adding that the plea will be revived over a complaint of forced labour in Islamabad.

The high court lauded the role of amicus curiae Adnan Haider Randhawa, Umar Ijaz Gillani and Danial Hassan over assisting the court.

Earlier, Adnan Haider argued that the chief commissioner in his report has said that the affidavit should be made compulsory and also suggested making law over the matter.

“Now they said that the practice of forced labour has come to an end, thus the matter should not be kept in further pending. “Now it is the job of the executive, we could not interfere in their work,” Justice Athar Minallah said.

“The court should consider some other recommendations,we have submitted in our report,” amicus curiae Adnan Haider said.

Justice Athar Minallah said that the chief commissioner’s report will be part of the court’s order and dismissed the petition.

In an earlier hearing of the case, members of a Supreme Court commission set up on forced labour, had shared a report to the court.

The report stated that bondage by virtue of debt is a form of modern slavery. “All labourers are free and well within their rights to discontinue their jobs at brick kilns at any time”, the court had observed.

The bench remarked that the loan given to the labourers against bondage is illegal and the workers are not obligated to pay it off. It maintained that the practice of debt bondage is in strict violation of the Supreme Court’s orders.