ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday set up a commission, headed by the Islamabad deputy commissioner (DC) for collecting data about brick kiln workers in the federal capital.
A single-judge of Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition of Manzooran Bibi. Advocate General Islamabad Niaz Ullah Niazi, Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat and the SHO of the relevant police station appeared before the bench, and produced seven children, two men and two women, recovered from a brick kiln.
The petitioner, Manzooran Bibi had invoked the constitutional jurisdiction of the court asserting that the owner of Gondal Bricks Company, situated at Haji Camp Road, had illegally detained children, who were less than eight-year-old.
Advocate General Islamabad would be the convener of the commission, while the Secretary Brick Kiln Union, Muhammad Bashir, advocates, Adnan Randhawa and Umer Gilani, will be its members.
The commission was directed to file a complete report on brick kiln workers in one month.
The DC informed that the Labour Department had ordered for the registration of the labourers working in the brick kilns.
“We are collecting the information, and in 20 to 25 days would complete the record,” he added.
He further said there were 80 brick kilns in the federal capital, and said action would be taken against those who would violate the law.
The chief justice then inquired from him what about the children working in the houses.
The DC Shafqat informed that with the assistance of UNICEF they were also collecting data about such children.
He said in three months they would compile the data of the children working in houses.
He further informed that the Islamabad administration was also working on child protection.
Shafqat informed that to recover the children, they raided the brick kiln with the help of Islamabad police.
The chief justice said the business owners should have a contract with their workers.
The SHO told that they raided the brick kiln, and registered an FIR against the accused.
The chief justice told the SHO that you are the prosecution; therefore, remain in contact with the advocate general.
Justice Minallah inquired from the brick kiln owner how you can keep someone a slave.
He said there will be a fair trial, adding the court wanted to set up a system so that such incidents do not occur in the future.
The CJ IHC noted that the brick kiln owners first make the parents slave by giving them loan, and then force their children to work on the kilns.
“I don’t want the children to do such jobs,” he added.
The chief justice said the court would not allow anyone to engage in forced labour and violate human rights.
The court said that the State should look after the education and welfare of the recovered children.
The DC said that the children could live in Shelter Homes.
After directing the commission to submit a report in one month, the case was adjourned until Feb 2.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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