Asif Javed’s story had not begun at the Lahore High Court, where he drenched himself in petrol and struck a match. It began much earlier: in corporate boardrooms where employee grievances are treated as line items rather than human struggles, in HR departments that view worker rights as a nuisance, and in regulatory offices more invested in appearances than accountability. His crime? Seeking justice after being dismissed from his job. The giant’s subsequent compensation to Javed’s family might be presented as a gesture of accountability, but it serves as a chilling reminder that, in Pakistan, far too often, tragedy is often the only catalyst for corporate action. Our track record on labour rights is deeply troubling. The Labour Rights Index 2024 places Pakistan at a dismal 53.5 out of 100, even below the South Asian average of 57. India, for instance, scores 62, despite sharing many socio-economic challenges. Much more than administrative incompetence, it reflects a corporate culture rooted in exploitation, where short-term profit eclipses long-term human welfare. Consider workplace safety. According to the International Labour Organisation, Pakistan remains among the countries with the highest rates of occupational fatalities. The 2012 Baldia factory fire, which killed over 250 garment workers, should have forced a reckoning. Sadly, a decade later, safety protocols still remain lax; laws, poorly enforced, and accidents frequent enough to barely register in national headlines. The issue runs deeper still. Mental health among Pakistani employees has deteriorated alarmingly. Gallup Pakistan’s 2024 study revealed that nearly one-third of workers aged 25-44 grapple with severe job-induced stress. The reasons are familiar: unreasonably long working hours, precarious employment conditions, and virtually no institutional mental health support. All those companies that do a fine job in showcasing growth figures would most likely look the other way if questioned about the human cost of these statistics. Speaking about international waters, this negligence risks causing an intolerable economic crisis. The EU’s GSP+ status, which grants Pakistan duty-free access to its markets, is contingent upon adherence to labour standards. Continued and widespread violations could (within the blink of an eye) spell an end to this arrangement, impacting our fragile industries and suspending millions of livelihoods. Real change demands transparency, accountability, and a fundamental shift in corporate priorities. For companies, this means integrating employee welfare into their strategic goals; for government agencies, an across-the-board enforcement of labour laws, and for workers, an urgent need to feel empowered. Even as our lawmakers appear stubbornly unfazed by the burning realities faced by the common man, they cannot, and will not, be able to keep their eyes tightly shut forever. Sooner, and indeed much sooner than they are ready, they will be forced to make a choice: build corporate prosperity on ethical foundations or remain complicit in a deeply flawed system where people pay the ultimate price. *