Peshawar - Under blistering heat on the outskirts of Peshawar, 40-year-old Qudratullah pushes a wheelbarrow stacked with bricks at a dusty construction site in WAPDA Town to earn a living for his family, amidst a relentless rise in the cost of living.
For his backbreaking labor, Qudratullah earns Rs700 a day—barely enough to feed his six-member family amid inflation and soaring prices of daily commodities in the open market of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“We work from dawn till dusk and still live hand to mouth,” he says, wiping sweat from his brow. “We have no proper healthcare, no dedicated educational facilities for our children, and no home of our own.”
Qudratullah’s story reflects the harsh reality faced by millions of poor laborers across Pakistan, especially in KP. Daily wagers, unskilled workers, construction and agricultural laborers, and domestic helpers contribute tirelessly to national development and the economy—yet they are often exploited by builders, factory owners, landlords, and businesses, and remain a neglected segment of society.
Following the devolution of labour departments to provinces, this area became further overlooked. Many laborers—particularly those working at brick kilns and agricultural lands—face severe subjugation by their employers.
Often, these labourers and their families remain trapped in cycles of debt, having borrowed money in advance to feed their children. This vicious cycle renders them virtual hostages, treated by some employers as bonded laborers—a bleak reflection of the dark ages.
“Nearly 72% of Pakistan’s workforce is employed in the informal sector, especially in construction, transport, and agriculture. These workers often lack written contracts, social protections, and even minimum wage guarantees,” said Prof. Dr. Naeemur Rehman Khattak, former Chairman of the Economics Department at the University of Peshawar.
“Most of the time, their situation is dire. They are underpaid and face a lack of opportunities to progress. And during epidemics or calamities like COVID-19, their lives become even harder,” Dr. Khattak added.
He noted that economic instability, weak industrialization, and social inequality continue to push the poor deeper into hardship. “When the economy shrinks, it’s always the laborers who suffer the most.”
Pakistan, a founding member of the International Labour Organization (ILO), has ratified 36 ILO conventions, including eight fundamental ones. The 1973 Constitution also guarantees workers the right to unionize, bargain collectively, and receive fair wages.
Yet in many cases, employers avoid providing basic entitlements such as sufficient wages, proper housing, education, healthcare, or regulated working hours.
“This is a sheer disconnect between policy and practice,” said Syed Noman Bokhari, a senior labour law expert and member of the High Court Bar Association. “In KP, the Minimum Wages Board revises salaries annually, but enforcement remains a major challenge—especially in rural areas.”
“Labour courts do exist, but they are under-resourced, and many workers can’t even afford to take a day off to file a complaint,” he noted.
While Bokhari acknowledged some progress, such as the KP government’s increase of the minimum wage to Rs36,000 in the last budget and pilot programs using digital tools for social security registration, he added: “We still need to see how successfully these measures are implemented across the entire province.” There are other commendable government efforts, such as the construction of affordable flats for laborers by the Provincial Housing Authority (PHA) in various housing projects across the province.
In Labour City, Regi Lalma, over 2,000 flats have been completed, and major housing projects are underway in Swat, Charsadda, Hangu, and Peshawar’s Surizai and Nishtarabad areas.
PHA Director Waqas Anjum said that 9,000 housing units are under construction in the Jalozai Housing Scheme, with 1,300 specifically reserved for laborers.
Meanwhile, in Mardan, infrastructure upgrades are ongoing in the Labour Colony, and large tracts of land have been earmarked for worker-friendly housing.
Further support is also being extended to overseas Pakistanis through one-window facilitation desks and financial aid for their children’s international education.
Although these efforts are complemented by initiatives funded by the Workers Welfare Fund (WWF) and the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), the challenge of ensuring these benefits reach the most deserving individuals remains unresolved.
Civil society organizations and NGOs such as Aurat Foundation and the Labour Education Foundation are playing a role in educating workers about their rights and organizing efforts for better working conditions. Youth and middle-class support for ethical labor practices is also on the rise.
Still, Dr Khattak warns that systemic change requires more than scattered reforms: “We need digital worker databases, empowered inspection systems, and above all, the political will to prioritize the rights of laborers.”
The current government touts its new labour policy as a turning point—promising a 400% wage hike, job regularization, and benefits for dismissed employees.
Yet critics argue that implementation remains sluggish, especially when compared to unmet promises such as PTI’s pledge to build five million homes for the poor.
“All we ask for is fairness,” says Qudratullah, taking a brief rest before returning to his load. “Not charity—just a little dignity.”
In his words, he may be pointing to political maneuvering, bureaucratic hurdles, and a lack of transparency and merit—and calling upon the government to adopt a just mechanism to identify and support the truly deserving beneficiaries of such schemes.