NAWABSHAH: Nawabshah police raided a brick kiln near Khadar on Saturday and recovered 20 bonded labourers who were reportedly being forced to work without wages.

The police acted on the orders of the sessions court, which received a complaint from Sabagho Oadh, a resident of Umerkot, requesting recovery of his relatives from illegal captivity.

Khadar police led by SHO Qurban Kalhoro raided the kiln owned by Islamuddin Pathan and Abdul Wahid Pathan, and rescued the labourers, who included six children, eight women and six men.

The adult men and women were identified as Jagdish, Arjun, Ravi, Jyot, Pakhi, Juman, Ms Sapita, Ms Nuri, Ms Pathani, Ms Jisman, Ms Sakina, Ms Sahiban, Ms Halai, Ms Radha. Names of the six children could not be known.

Police officials said that the rescued labourers would be produced before judge in the sessions court.

The labourers told reporters that they had been working on the farm for a year, but they had not been paid for their work.

They were subjected to forced labour and physical abuse and were not allowed to leave the farm, they said.

They appealed to authorities to provide them justice, ensure that they received their wages and appropriate action was taken against the kiln owners.

Akram Khaskheli, president of Hari Welfare Association, voiced deep concern over the persistent and widespread practice of debt bondage despite enactment of the Sindh Bonded Labour Abolition Act, 2015.

He said in a press statement said the District Vigilance Committees established under the Act in every district had failed to play a significant role in rescuing, protecting and rehabilitating bonded labourers. Between 2013 and 2023, a total of 12,116 bonded labourers, including 4,134 children and 4,037 women, were freed from the clutches of landlords in Sindh, he informed.

He urged the government to implement the law in letter and spirit and activate the committees in all districts to address the menace of bonded labour.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2024