PESHAWAR: Rallies and seminars were held across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday to mark the Labour day.

In this connection, a seminar was organised at the Peshawar Press Club under the auspices of the National Labour Federation Central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A large number of labour leaders and workers associated with industrial unions and various institutions from different districts of the province attended the event.

Addressing the seminar, Jamaat-i-Islami leader Khalid Waqqas said that despite the passage of 50 years, the condition of workers had not improved.

Speakers say working class playing vital role in national development

He said the ruling class continued to present numerous bills in assemblies and had fixed the minimum wage for labourers at Rs40,000 per month, but in reality workers were still deprived of their basic rights and many were not even receiving Rs30,000 in salary.

In Haripur, provincial minister for labour, Faisal Khan Tarkai, has said that rapid changes driven by automation, globalisation, and market dynamics have made the labour market more complex by exposing the workers to new socio-economic challenges across the globe.

“To effectively address these challenges, modern regulatory frameworks, enforcement mechanisms and policy reforms have become essential, “ he said while speaking to participants of a function organised to mark the International Labour Day at Hattar Labour Colony on Friday.

Provincial minister for elementary and secondary education Arshad Ayub Khan, MPA Akbar Ayub Khan, PTI leader Yousaf Ayub Khan, ILO’s country director Geir Tonstol, labour secretary Mian Adil Iqbal, international trade unionist Zahoor Awan, local labour leaders and industrial workers were also in attendance.

The minister said that after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa labour department introduced comprehensive labour laws aligning them to the standards of the International Labour Organisation and ensured their applicability on equal and non-discriminatory basis.

He claimed the Labour Policy 2018 and the Child Labour Elimination Policy 2018 provided a foundational framework for labour governance in the province.

“In continuation of these efforts, the Child Labour Elimination Action Plan (2025–29) has also been launched, offering a comprehensive and multi-sectoral strategy to eradicate child labour from the province,” he said.

In Swabi a seminar was jointly organised by Pakistan Workers Federation, United Municipal Workers Union, Topi Press Club and Utman Loya Jirga Topi at the TMA Hall in Topi, in which the speakers highlighted the rights of labourers, current economic conditions and implementation of labour laws.

After the seminar, a rally of the labour union was also held.

PWF central president Shaukat Ali Anjum, provincial president Iftikhar Ahmed, district general secretary Mohammad Fazil and various other leaders said that unfortunately, even today the working class in Pakistan is a victim of oppression by exploitative forces.

A protest rally was taken out from TMA Hall Topi, in which workers, journalists and people from different walks of life participated. The participants held banners and placards in their hands on which the demands for the rights of workers, the minimum wage and provision of justice were written. They also raised slogans in support of their demands.

In Charsadda, the district chapter of Qaumi Watan Party organised a rally at Mandani Bazaar in this connection which was attended by a large number of party workers and labourers.

The rally passed through various roads of Mandani Bazaar, where participants raised slogans in support of workers’ rights and carried banners and placards inscribed with pro-labour messages.

The speakers paid tribute to martyrs of Chicago as well as workers around the world, saying sacrifices of the labour community are unforgettable. They said that the working class was the backbone of society and played a vital role in national development.

In Swat, the day was observed with rallies, speeches and celebrations.

At Makanbagh Chowk, 60-year-old Azim sat beside his three-wheel cart, waiting patiently for a customer. The Labour Day seemed distant to him.

“I don’t know about any such day,” he said, his eyes scanning the road for potential work.

“If I don’t work today, how will I feed my family?” His words reflect a stark reality, where survival outweighs celebration.

The Lakki Marwat education office and Boy Scouts Association jointly held a declamation contest at the Government Shaheed Muhammad Ghassan Khan Centennial Model High School No 1 in Lakki city on Friday to mark International Labour Day.

Students from government schools participated in the competition and highlighted the rights and achievements of workers and labourers.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2026