End? NCHR Petition Federal Court Mein
Islamabad: National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) ne Federal Constitutional Court mein ek landmark constitutional petition file ki hai, jisme wo manual sewer cleaning ko poore Pakistan mein phase out karne aur sanitation workers ke liye health and safety regulations laagu karne ki demand kar rahi hai. Case Federal Court ke three-member bench, headed by Justice Aminuddin, ke samne suna gaya.
Petition Ka Maksad
NCHR ne highlight kiya ke sanitation workers bohot hi hazardous aur fatal kaam kar rahe hain, lekin unko protective gear, training, ya occupational safety protocols nahi diye jaate. Commission ka kehna hai ke manual sewer cleaning fundamental constitutional rights, jaise:
- Right to life
- Right to dignity
- Right to equality
- Safe working conditions
ko violate karta hai.
NCHR Chairperson Rabiya Javeri Agha ne kaha:
“Manual cleaning of gutters is brutal and dehumanizing. No person’s life should be put at risk for work that should never require human hands.”
Pakistan Mein Sanitation Workers Ki Halat
Pakistan ab tak sanitation workers ke liye ek unified national health-and-safety regime establish nahi kar saka. Regulatory enforcement aur emergency response mechanisms ke baghair, workers ko:
- Toxic gases
- Life-threatening injuries
- Preventable deaths
ka samna karna padta hai.
Pehle Se Documented Tragedies
NCHR ke report “Risk of Sanitation Work in Pakistan” ke mutabiq 2022-2024 ke dauran kai workers apni duty ke dauran hayat se haath dho baithay:
- Chakwal (2022): Riaz aur Jahanzaib gas inhalation se margae
- Muzaffargarh (2022): Rab Nawaz aur Malik Riaz Hussain sewer me gir kar mar gae
- Sargodha & Faisalabad (2022-2024): Faisal Masih, Nadeem Masih, Shaukat Masih, Asif Masih, Shan Masih aur doosre bhi mar chukay hai
Karachi & Lahore: Roshan Poran, Karan Poran aur Babar Masih, toxic gases ya physical torture ke victims reh chukay hai
NCHR Ka Initiative: Notices Aur Inquiries
NCHR ne khud se notices aur inquiries shuru kiye, municipalities aur provincial authorities ko letters bheje aur deadlines di, lekin kai baar unka jawab ya to adhura aaya ya bilkul nahi aaya.N
Federal Court Mein Sunwayi Ka Jaiza
Friday ko Federal Constitutional Court mein, NCHR ke pro bono counsel Barrister Iqbal Nasar ne bataya ke sirf ek din pehle Sindh mein ek aur sanitation worker mar gaya. Commission ne emphasize kiya ke Pakistan mein abhi bhi sanitation work ke liye health and safety framework exist nahi karta, aur immediate government intervention zaroori hai.
Petition Ki Demand
NCHR ki demand hai:
- Sewers ki mechanized cleaning
- Mandatory PPE
- Emergency response protocols
- Strict monitoring by municipal & provincial authorities
- Workers ke liye training aur occupational safety standards
Court ne respondents ko notices issue kar diye hain, aur follow-up hearing mein compliance aur implementation strategies discuss ki jaayengi.
Asal Point Jo Samajhna Zaroori Hai
Ye petition Pakistan ke marginalized labour groups, khaas taur pe religious aur social minority sanitation workers, ke haqooq ke liye pehla constitutional step hai. Agar implement hoti hai, to ye ek precedent set karegi: workers ke dignity, life aur safety ko legally protect karne ke liye.