IHC informed of cases registered against brick kilns’ owners

The Islamabad administration has informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) about the cases registered against the owners of brick kilns for bonded labour. A single-member bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah on Monday directed the administration to continue the implementation of the order regarding the eradication of bonded labour in the federal capital.

The state counsel Danyal Hassan informed the court that in consonance with the court’s order, the district administration took action against illegal activity and it was facilitating the workers who wanted to go back. He added that cases have also been registered against the kiln owners who took advance from the workers.

IHC chief justice praised the assistant commissioner and remarked that the Islamabad administration has done a tremendous job. He ordered to submit a comprehensive report on the action in the next hearing due next month.

Last month, IHC had given a final warning to the Islamabad administration for the eradication of bonded labour at brick kilns.

During the hearing, the bonded labour commission members, Adnan Haider Randhawa and Danyal Hasan, appeared before the single-member bench while Khurram Hashmi represented the owners of brick kilns in the federal capital while Islamabad Labour Officer Ghani Muhammad and Sub-Inspector Manzoor also appeared before the court.

The court maintained that the interior ministry secretary would be summoned if the orders were not implemented. Randhawa stated that the poor are provided with loans and their children are forced into labour.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2021.