LAHORE, Nov 11: The Lahore High Court has asked for a government policy on those employed in various city markets on daily wages, as they are not protected by any law.

The court issued a directive to a deputy attorney-general and an additional advocate-general on Tuesday for reports in four weeks on what was the position of federal and Punjab governments on the issue of casual labourers.

Notices were issued on a writ petition filed by 10 such labourers for protection under the labour laws as a fundamental right. They have been working in Lahore’s grain, vegetable and fruit markets, bus and truck stands and cold storage facilities.

The petitioners’ counsel, MD Tahir, put the number of such workers across the country at around 40 million and submitted that they were being subjected to subhuman conditions and asked to carry on their backs up to 150kg of weight while loading and unloading trucks and moving in and out of markets.

The counsel stated that the federal and provincial governments were under a constitutional obligation to ensure that casual labourers were treated in accordance with the law being practised in public godowns, which provided that the load should not exceed 100kg.

He prayed to the court that the government be directed to investigate the plight of casual workers and ensure them fair and legal treatment.