HYDERABAD, Feb 7: Leaders of various political parties and social welfare organizations have termed forced labour as an insult to humanity and demanded effective measures to end it.

They were speaking at a seminar organized by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) at the press club here on Saturday.

The topic of the seminar was ‘national consultation on bonded labour’.

Those who spoke on the occasion included the head of the Piler, Karamat Ali, Zulfiqar Shah, Professor Mushtaq Mirani, Hassan Askari, Taraqi Pasand Hari Sangat leader Hote Khan Gadhi, HRCP coordinator Ms Nasreen Shakeel Pathan, Ramzan Memon, Hyder Nizamani and others.

The speakers spoke on different aspects of bonded labour.

They demanded enforcement of the tenancy act, treatment of farmers as workers and giving the status of industry to the agriculture sector.

They demanded constitution of farmers’ committees at the district level to ensure their welfare.

The speakers pointed out that under the constitution of Pakistan forced labour was banned and the Shariat Court in its recent judgement had termed forced labour as an insult to the dignity of human being.

Quoting the ILO report, the speakers said around 1.7 million people associated with the agriculture sector were working as bonded labours.

They said the agriculture sector could not develop without abolishment of the feudal system.