Govt to eradicate forced labour, minister

A national conference on the elimination of forced labour was held on Friday at a local hotel with Sindh Minister for Labour and HR Department Shahid Abdul Salam Thahim in the chair.

The minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to eliminate forced labour. "We all need to work together to ensure that every citizen has a safe and dignified environment," Thahim stated.

He also mentioned that effective policies and measures would be implemented to eliminate forced labour, and that legal reforms and monitoring systems would be strengthened.

ILO Chief Technical Advisor Oluremi Doherty also attended the meet and highlighted ongoing global efforts and various projects aimed at eradicating forced labour. He described the conference as a testament to the collaborative efforts of the Employers Federation of Pakistan (EFP) and the Bridge Project.

EFP President Taha Javed and other experts threw light on the strategies needed to eradicate forced labour and stressed on the need for a comprehensive approach.

Thahim noted that the Sindh government is actively involved in addressing the issue and has assigned a crucial role to deputy commissioners at the district levels.

He attributed the rise in forced labour to the economic crisis and lack of opportunities, stressing that joint efforts from all stakeholders are essential to solving the problem. At the end of the conference, shields were presented to all speakers, and minister assured that the government would continue to work with the ILO to safeguard workers' rights and ensure business sustainability.