HYDERABAD, April 17: An international conference on liberation and rehabilitation of bonded labour on Sunday recommended to the federal government to appoint a judicial commission to eliminate private jails and take necessary steps for rehabilitation of liberated haris.

The conference was organised by the Peace and Human Rights Trust, Pakistan.

It recommended that instead of allotting state land to the military and civil bureaucracy, it should be given to landless peasants.

The chairman of the Peace and Human Rights Trust (International), London, Mr Mukhtar Rana, presided over the conference.

The chairman of the Bonded Labour Liberation Front (UK), Shahid Dastagir Khan, was the chief guest on the occasion.

The conference called upon the Sindh government to take effective measures for the liberation of bonded haris from private jails of landlords and recover family members of Mannu Bheel showing deference for the Supreme Court.

It recommended that workers and haris who have fell prey to compulsory labour should be issued CNICs and their names should be registered in voters’ lists.

It pointed out that due to an acute shortage of water 1.2 million acres of rich agricultural land had been swallowed by sea water in Thatta and Badin districts.

It called for the elimination of the contract system in industry including fisheries and glass bangle industry and demanded that the implementation of labour laws should be ensured.

Veteran politician Mairaj Mohammad Khan said that without abolition of the feudal system in the country, oppression of poor people and karo-kari could not be stopped.

Mr Khan said that the Balochistan imbroglio had nothing to do with Akbar Bugti and Akhtar Mengal and added that repercussions of the Balochistan operation would be extremely dangerous.

He said that the Sindhi nation had always been victimized and warned that if the Kalabagh dam was constructed by force, the whole nation would rebel.

People’s Party Parliamentarians leader Taj Haider said that justice could be restored in the country only by creating awareness among the people for their rights which could not be achieved without prolonged struggle.

He said that the only way to eliminate forced labour was to bring about agricultural reforms.

He said that without these reforms cases like Mannu Bheel could not be eliminated.

Shahid Dastagir said that jagirdars in Pakistan were the dominating force and that was the reason that the executive was not in a position to enforce the law although bonded labour abolition laws were on the statute book.

Sindh Hari Committee chief Azhar Jatoi said that while no relief had been given to tillers of land, institution of jagirdars and waderas had been strengthened.

Mr Jatoi demanded that Hari courts should be established on the pattern of labour courts.

Eminent leftist Jam Saqi said that the forced labour could be eliminated if the Bonded Labour (Abolition) Act was implemented in letter and in spirit.

Mukhtar Rana said that if the government was to take over responsibility of providing bread, clothes, shelter, education and health which was its basic responsibility, then the question of forced labour would never arise.

He said the struggle would continue till the total elimination of this inhuman practice.

Ayaz Latif Palijo, Imdad Akash, Nazeer Memon, Arab Mallah, Ehsan Azeem, Choudhry Bashir Gujjar and Aslam Rana spoke on the occasion.