The Case of Bonded Labor in Pakistan

In 2008 Pakistan’s Supreme Court declared bonded labor to be unconstitutional and initiated steps to abolish it. The National Assembly of the country passed a law abolishing bonded labor and prohibiting the practice. It publicized the official rules outlining how the law was to be implemented. Bonded labor, or “debt bondage” as it is also known, is a practice condemned by the United Nations as being similar to slavery and consequently a violation of human rights. It is considered by the International Labor Organization (ILO) to constitute forced labor and to be a violation of its convention on forced labor.

However, despite the short-term progress following the Supreme Court’s judgment, debt bondage still remains a challenge for the Pakistani Government.

There are NGOs and human rights groups working in the country for the release of the bonded laborers. They have successfully secured the release of about 7,000 to 8,000 bonded laborers in the country this year, by persuading police or local government officials to inspect places where bonded laborers are reported to be held, and ordering them to be released when they are found. However, it is still very difficult, and over the past nine months the principle challenge for them has been to ensure that the freed bonded laborers remain free.