Bonded labour: SC seeks report on ‘haris’ in Sindh

Bench orders AGP and Sindh advocate general to assist court in the next hearing

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the Sindh government a month to submit a report on ‘haris’ (bonded agricultural labourers) in the province.

Hearing a petition filed by the president of Sindh Qaumi Saath Abdul Hafeez Qureshi and others, a two-member bench comprising justices Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Azmat Saeed Sheikh asked both the federal and Sindh governments to explain whether wealthy landlords in the province still keep haris in private prisons.

The bench ordered the attorney general of Pakistan (AGP) and Sindh advocate general to appear in person in the next hearing to assist the court in this matter.

The petition accuses former provincial legislator Mir Hayat Khan Talpur and Mureed Khan Maree of Sanghar district of using thousands of haris, including women and children, on their lands. The petitioners alleged the accused harassed the bonded labourers and violated their fundamental rights under articles 2-A, 9, 11, 14, 15, 17 and 25 of the Constitution.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2015.