HYDERABAD: Speakers at a seminar on peasants’ rights said that peasants and rural workers remained vulnerable and unprotected because of the relevant authorities’ failure to implement existing laws in Sindh.

Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) chairperson retired Justice Majida Rizvi said at the seminar organised by Hari Welfare Association (HWA) in Nawabshah on Saturday that there was no accountability of officials in different departments and people were not aware of laws dealing with peasants and rural workers’ rights.

She said that monitoring mechanism needed to be developed in the SHRC and all departments should submit annual progress report on implementation of laws.

Sindh Assembly member and chairman of Public Accounts Committee, Ghulam Qadir Chandio, said that Sindh government was striving to protect rights of peasants and labourers.

He said that Sindh Assembly had enacted many laws dealing with rights of labourers, peasants, women, children and vulnerable segments of society. It was time to ensure implementation of laws and protection of human rights, he said, adding that Sindh government would never go against peasants and labourers’ rights.

HWA president Akram Ali Khaskheli said that peasants were not registered across the province as per Sindh Tenancy Act of 1950, hence when landlords violated peasants’ rights, they could not claim their share in the harvest.

He lamented police often got peasants released from custody of landlords under judicial orders but did not lodge cases against the landlords to hold them accountable for the crime of holding fellow humans in bondage.

He said that peasants being powerless could not dare lodge FIRs against landlords thus police should lodge FIRs on behalf of state under relevant sections of law. Condition of rural workers was deplorable as they remained without social security, he said.

He termed Sindh Women Agriculture Workers Act an important development as it recognised rights of millions of women agriculture workers that included right to earn, unionise, have written contract and receive social security and welfare benefits.

He said that implementation of the act would be a challenge because of structural barriers in agriculture economy and complexities. He urged the government to notify this act, set up field offices and register female workers. The government should provide representation of women agriculture workers in board and tripartite councils.

Qamarunnisa Dhamrah, G.M. Khaskheli advocate, Lal Chand, Naila Gill, Ramesh Kumar, Jan Mohammad Khan, Abid Lashari, Shahzad Ahmed, Asiful Bashar, Asif Raza Ashiq and others also spoke at the seminar.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Rushed legislation
Updated 06 Nov, 2024

Rushed legislation

For all its stress on "supremacy of parliament", the ruling coalition has wasted no opportunity to reiterate where its allegiances truly lie.
Jail reform policy
06 Nov, 2024

Jail reform policy

THE state is making a fresh attempt to improve conditions in Pakistan’s penitentiaries by developing a national...
BISP overhaul
06 Nov, 2024

BISP overhaul

IT has emerged that the spouses of over 28,500 Sindh government employees have been illicitly benefiting from BISP....
Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....