Each passing day brings forth new incidents that show the deplorable way in which Pakistan’s moral fabric is disintegrating. This time around, a domestic child worker was found hanged in the house of his employer in Baghbanpura area of Lahore. The victim’s parents blame the employer for sodomy and murder, while the latter claims that the boy committed suicide.
It is utterly shameful that society treats these domestic helpers like slaves in order to physiologically justify the vicious treatment meted out to them. This is particularly true for vulnerable, innocent children who easily become subservient and cannot fight back against oppression. This case calls for a thorough investigation in order to ascertain the truth of the matter and severely punish any perpetrators accordingly. If an act of barbarism has indeed occurred then an example must be made of the criminal as a form of deterrence in society. It is also a damning indictment of social polarisation in Pakistan that millions of incapacitated destitute people are stuck in this vicious cycle of slavery and torture. According to ILO, the number is as high as 8.5 million — these are people who are exploited because of socio-economic factors such as lack of employment, poverty and inflation. Men, women and children have to put themselves in a vulnerable position to earn a living without rights or benefits. Domestic work is part of the huge informal sector — around 73% of the total Pakistani economy — and thus the existing labour laws are not applicable to this sector.
The government and policymakers must establish a framework to bring these vulnerable workers within the social safety net so that adequate protection and compensation is available under the law. The treat of moral decay looms large and only through awareness and legal measures can we instill acceptable values in society.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 10th, 2023.
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