Bricks Kiln Contractor Sold a Lady, Her Son At Rs 70,000

BRICKS KILN CONTRACTOR SOLD A LADY, HER SON AT RS 70,000

By Nadeem Shah, Daily News, Lahore

22th November 2005

The buying and selling of human beings in the construction industry persists in Pakistan, claims a report published last week.

MULTAN: An unregistered bricks kiln contractor has sold a powerless, guiltless and depressed married lady and her son at Rs 70,000 to another bricks kiln contractor based in Dera Ismael Khan for bonded labor in punishment to ensure recovery of his 'Peshgi' (debt bondage) from her husband in Multan, a central part of Pakistan's South Punjab, it is learnt.

"We are unfortunate and helpless victims of bonded labor as bricks kiln contractor has sold my distressed younger sister Mumtaz Mai, her son in punishment. Who will care, secure and protect us from the tyrannies of bricks kiln contractors", questioned Janat Bibi, the elder sister (see photo).

Hundreds of unregistered bricks kiln have been working in Multan with out any check and avoiding from registration to save Rs 10,000 annual tax and Rs 10,000 in social security, income, union council and town taxes imposed by the Multan city/district government. However, not a single drive could be initiated for registration of these illegal unregistered brick kilns where bonded labor is being promoted.

Bonded labor, also called debt bondage or 'Peshgi', is a form of slavery in which poor workers, instead of taking wages in exchange for their work, take advance payment from an employer at exorbitant interest rates, and in return pledge themselves, or one or more members of their family to work until the loan is paid off.

The bonded labor family has been living under serious threats and insecurity after receiving continuous pressure from bricks kiln contractors for not raising hue and cry on selling of Mumtaz Mai.

The police investigation report has easily established that circle police did not make conscious efforts to collect evidences into selling or missing of Mumtaz Mai but police colored the whole case as a mutual financial dispute and took the whole matter casually.

Punjab Inspector General, police ordered an inquiry for recovery of Mumtaz Mai and her son on receiving their complaint but police allegedly conducted partial investigation' and declared the bricks kiln contractor free from the guilt and finally held complainant responsible for lodging baseless complaint, said the victim's family.

Mumtaz Mai, 23 years, her son Nadeem, 8, presently in the possession of DI Khan bricks kiln contractor Mehrban Ali faced her critical ordeal before selling as she was kept with chains in a locked room and injected high dozes of toxicating injections before shifting from Multan to Dera Ismael Khan in an ambulance, an eye witness Muhammad Hanif said.

It is worth of mentioning that a person can also become a bonded laborer when he or she is tricked into taking a loan. The person is forced to work long hours for little or no pay, often for seven days a week in order to repay the debt. The loan seldom gets paid back mainly due to the high interest rates, and passes from one generation to another.

As a result entire families and future generations are held in bondage, working for the employer, with little hope of escaping the debt trap. Threats and violence are used to prevent people escaping from this form of Contract labor is another form of bondage in which a parent or employer contracts the labor of a child or employee to someone else in return for a cash advance. The 'Peshgi' is paid to a parent or guardian, who then provides the child to work off the debt.

Facts into selling of the lady revealed that Mumtaz Mai, her son Nadeem and her husband Zulfiqar Ali, served with bricks kiln of Seikh Hamid, situated on Mati Tal road for period of about one year. Zulfiqar Ali in his capacity of 'Jamadar' (the supervisor of labor) received Rs 65,000 'Peshgi' from Seikh Hamid including Rs 10,000 for his personal needs. Few months later, the bricks kiln contractor Seikh Hamid chained the family and kept them hostage in a locked room just to ensure recovery of his amount. However, Zulfiqar Ali ran away successfully and tried to release his wife and son through counseling but remained fail.

Zulfiqar Ali in his application filed with Punjab IG police to recover his wife and son which forwarded to Multan DPO for taking required legal action. Local police chief forwarded the complaint to Makhdoom Rashid police circle DSP Mian Tanveer Arian for inquiry and recovery of Mumtaz Mai, her son. The DSP in his two-page report clearly noted that the complaint was lodged on baseless grounds and he acquitted Seikh Hamid from guilt in the absence of complainant or recording his statement.

"The complainant Zulfiqar Ali has repeatedly been called to produce himself but he avoided, however his brother-in-law Mulazim Hussein produced on Zulfiqar's behalf", said DSP Tanveer in his report. The victim bonded labor family on the other hand, said Zulfiqar, avoided appearance due to strong influence of contractor and partial police investigation.

Later on, Mulazim Hussein, the elder brother of sold lady filed his application with Multan Additional District and Session Judge Muhammad Abdul Nasir for registration of criminal case against accused Seikh Hamid, Mehrban Ali Khan, Muhammad Aslam Khan etc and recovery of his sister.

The court directed the Qadirpur Rawan police SHO for entertaining the grievance of petitioner but the SHO submitted the court that the offence was not cognizable and the place did not fall in the jurisdiction of his police station. Bricks kiln contractor Seikh Hamid told this scribe (reporter) that he was not involved in selling or kidnapping of Mumtaz Mai.

However, he said Zulfiqar received Rs 65,000 from him and later left Multan for Dera Ismael Khan.

"Police investigation acquitted me while the UC nazim Falak Sher Bathi has also proved my innocence", Seikh Hamid said.

Mulazim Hussein the elder brother of Mumtaz Mai told this scribe that his sister and her husband Zulfiqar in capacity of 'Jamadar' had been working with Seikh Hamid for the last two years and getting Rs 07 commission on each 1000 bricks. In fact, Zulfiqar has remained involve in providing labor to bricks kiln contractors on reasonable rates and received a commission against his job.

At least 6-7 laborer families requested Zulfiqar to ask Seikh Hamid for 'Peshgi' and Seikh released Rs 55,000 to laborer families and Rs 10,000 to
Zulfiqar, said Mulazim Hussein. Meanwhile, the bricks kiln labor developed differences with Seikh Hamid on payment and Seikh seized Zulfiqar, his wife and son and kept them with chain in a locked room of the mud house, he added.

"We the whole family members are seriously disturbed aabout the kidnap and selling of Mumtaz Mai and missing her and nothing to know about her fate. Each and every action can be expected from the greedy bricks kiln contractors for that reasons the Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi should intervene into the matter and recover Mumtaz Mai", demanded Mulazim Hussein.

All Pakistan Bricks Kiln Labor Union President Muhammad Hussein Khokhar demanded the government for immediate recovery of Mumtaz Mai, her son Nadeem - otherwise countrywide demonstrations would be staged across the country.