1 May 2005	Sunday	21 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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ISLAMABAD, April 30: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has said the best way to ensure the dignity and welfare of the working class is by adhering to Islamic injunctions. In his message on the May Day, the president said no covenant upheld the dignity of labour as firmly as Islam.

He said that while Islam enjoined upon the employer to ensure workers’ welfare and well-being, it expected the workers to meet their obligations and perform their duties with diligence, sincerity and honesty.

He said: “Let us, on this day, seek to imbibe this spirit, and work together as a team in building an egalitarian society in Pakistan based on Islamic principles of social justice.” He said the spirit of reciprocity in rights and obligations was the cornerstone of the employer-worker relationship in a Muslim society.

The president said: “As we celebrate May Day today, we must also pledge to rid our country from any form of discrimination against labourers and workers.”

He said the day was observed in Pakistan to pay tribute to all of the working class and to reaffirm the commitment to uphold and enhance the dignity of labour.

PM: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, in his message, reiterated the government’s pledge to eliminate forced labour and to amend labour laws in accordance with the provisions of the International Labour Organization.

“We will endeavour to extend various protective and welfare measures to the working community and ensure their effective enforcement,” he said.

Prime Minister Aziz called for banishing discrimination against labourers and workers and ensuring their rights in accordance with the teachings of Islam.

He said the future prosperity depended on the hard working and dedicated labour force of the country, which was the driving force for the economic and social programmes.

He said Pakistani labour had become extremely responsible and committed to the development of the nation. “It is no longer a tool of different pressure groups to be used for agitation and disturbances,” he said.

The Pakistani society, Mr Aziz said, was undergoing rapid changes aimed at national uplift and progress. For that, the labour force would have to work with perseverance and hard work, he said.

On the day, “we join our workers in paying tribute to those labourers of Chicago who embraced death for the rights of their colleagues and laid the foundation of the labour movement for dignity and fairness,” he said.

The prime minister assured the workers in the country of the government’s commitment to protect their rights and prevent any injustice against them.

—APP