Pakistan - Punjab - ''Extreme brutality''

An act of extreme brutality in Sheikhupura has made us ashamed to be called human beings. An influential landlord chopped off both hands of a youth over his refusal to work at his farmlands. Earlier, the ill-fated worker was chained for almost three months and was forced to do labour to pay off his debt amounting to Rs 15,000. The sad incident took place when the labourer tried to escape the torture. He was attacked by the landlord and his cronies, who cut off his hands with a cleaver. Cases highlighting the abuse of workers’ rights are common in Pakistan. There is no mechanism to check these violations while the police have been notorious for accepting bribes to hush up such cases. More important, the culprits have not been arrested by the police so far while the aggrieved family is seeking justice but there is little chance they would be provided it. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has satisfied himself by taking notice of the incident, seeking a report and ordering the arrest of the culprit without ensuring the implementation of his directions.

It is absolutely barbaric that feudal lords are still ruling the land of the pure in this 21st century and treat workers like slaves. Despite assertions to the contrary from many quarters, especially the landlord lobby, feudal culture still prevails and is a major cause of poor law enforcement. The situation is grim in the rural areas where workers are maltreated and paid a meagre wage. They are victimised at the hands of powerful landlords who torture them with impunity for even the slightest infringement, let alone, as in the case under discussion, daring to withdraw their labour. They cannot protect themselves against the highhandedness of landlords, who have connections with local politicians and sufficient wealth to buy influence. It is high time the Punjab government and all authorities through the length and breadth of the country paid attention to this social injustice. The perpetrator of this heinous offence must be awarded exemplary punishment. It is very unfortunate that no one took notice of the boy who was chained by the employer for three months. Tragically, there are numerous incidents involving violence against workers, but no one gets convicted that is why such heinous incidents are repeated again and again. The elimination of this social evil needs long term measures. The prevention of abuse of workers’ rights is the responsibility of both the government and society. The government should introduce detailed laws and policies to address the issue. If we do not eliminate this crime from society, it will go on bleeding our hearts and souls after every such incident. In the said case, the perpetrator must be made an example of as a warning to others of the same ilk.