15 May 2004	Saturday	24 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

ISLAMABAD, May 14: Debt bondage is illegal under an act of the parliament, but bonded labour continues to exist in at least 10 sectors, including brick kilns, agriculture and carpet industry, said a report here on Friday.

This was because the law brought on the statute book in 1992 still remains un-implemented, said former senator and human rights minister Iqbal Haider at a meeting held to launch the report, titled "Rapid assessment studies of bonded labour in different sectors in Pakistan".

Among those present in the meeting held at the Centre for Democratic Development of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan were Senator Farhatullah Babar and other parliament members and human rights activists.

The report was prepared by the Bonded Labour Research Forum, comprising eminent researchers, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, International Labour Organization and the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education & Research.

Brick kiln industry that came under special focus in late 1980s due to its cruel practice of enslaving workers of all the categories through advances, still remains the locus of bonded labour. "Bondage is effective because the earnings are so low that advances cannot be paid back even over a couple of years," the report observes.

The inhuman practice was also found, in different forms, in other sectors too. These sectors included agriculture, construction, carpet-weaving, marine fisheries, mining, glass bangles, tanneries, domestic work and begging.

Recalling the history of Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1992, Syed Tauqeer Shah, advisor on bonded labour, ILO Islamabad, said the government had decided to adopt it under the threat of a vote of censure that had been proposed in the ILO's meeting.

Even after enactment, it remained dormant because the rules to enforce its provisions were not framed for three years. Subsequently, the ILO came out with a project with Dutch assistance, and the cabinet approved a plan of action.

The government even provided Rs100 million that had been lying with the Labour Ministry. That money still remains un- utilized because of the lack of any comprehensive projects under the plan of action.

In the meantime, the government also set up a steering committee, comprising representatives of the government and civil society organisations such as the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and Piler. This committee, too, did not hold a single meeting for two years.

Section 15 of the bonded labour law requires the establishment of vigilance committees by the provincial governments. Although these were formed sporadically in some districts, any practical steps to actually enforce the provisions of the law are yet to be taken.