MARDAN, Dec 25: The Pakistan Workers Federation (PWF) has urged all political and religious parties contesting the Jan 8 polls to incorporate in their manifestos demands for employment, quality education, social protection, equitable wages and enforcement of labour laws in the country.

A meeting of the federation held here with PWF president Master Khudad Khan in the chair also asked the parties to keep on their agenda calls for repeal of anti-labour laws, Industrial Relations Ordinance 2002 and section 27-B of the banking law and bringing all labour laws in conformity with the ILO convention ’87 and ’98 ratified by the government of Pakistan. Abolition of feudalism and distribution of land to the landless peasants were also demanded by the workers federation.

The PWF urged the government to respect the judiciary and freedom of the press and reinstate the deposed judges and allow all television channels to resume their broadcast.

The meeting expressed concern over mounting prices of essential commodities, lamenting particularly the increase in flour price that has shot up to Rs25 per kilogram from Rs14 in the past few months.