LAHORE: Speaking at an event held at the old Punjab Assembly building on Tuesday, officials emphasised the critical role of labourers in the economy and pledged to address longstanding issues faced by this segment of the population.

Acting Governor and Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan highlighted the indispensable contribution of labourers to both industry and agriculture.

“Without labourers, neither industry nor agriculture can function, and they are our heroes,” he stated. He claimed that the current government is actively working to protect labour rights, which had been previously neglected.

Khan also addressed the historical neglect of rural populations. He pointed out the lack of basic municipal services in rural areas, where people were dying from diseases due to inadequate facilities. “Previously, people living in villages were considered second-class citizens.”

He emphasised the need for local development, asserting that taxes should be allocated to local municipalities rather than centralised in Islamabad or Lahore.

Punjab Minister for Labour and Human Resources Faisal Ayub Khokhar expressed his satisfaction at addressing an audience of labourers. “I am happier at this event than at any political gathering because here, labourers are present,” he said.

Khokhar outlined several key initiatives, including clearing 29,000 pending labour cases, involving an expenditure of Rs6 billion; streamlining the process for disbursing cheques to labourers, reducing the waiting time to 90 days; establishing a social security hospital and labour colony in Kasur; distributing Rs52 million in welfare grants; providing educational grants for labourers’ children, covering 100 per cent of post-matriculation, graduation, and master’s degree expenses; amending labour laws to better protect workers’ rights; and the promise of the creation of special labour courts.

He said the government is distributing over 700 welfare grants, financial assistance is being provided for education, marriages, and funerals of labourers and their families.

Chairman of the Standing Committee on Labour and Human Resources Amjad Ali Javed praised Speaker Khan’s contributions and emphasised the government’s commitment to enhancing labour welfare.

He pledged to increase available facilities and resolve departmental challenges.

“We will distribute Rs55 million to labourers despite facing difficulties,” Javed stated, hoping for the prosperity of the labour community.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2025