A seminar held in Karachi on World Labour Day highlighted ongoing disputes over the death toll from the 2015 heatwave, with speakers arguing that official figures significantly understate the human impact, particularly on low-income and working-class communities.
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The event, organised by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), focused on “Climate Change and Workers’ Rights” and brought together labour rights activists, researchers and social sector representatives.
Speakers cited records from the Edhi Foundation claiming that more than 5,000 people may have died during the 2015 Karachi heatwave due to extreme temperatures. However, they noted that official government statistics reported around 300 fatalities, creating a wide gap in the documented scale of the disaster.
Participants said that Pakistan’s working class contributes the least to global climate change but continues to bear its harshest consequences. They argued that informal labourers, street vendors, factory workers and daily wage earners were among the most affected during extreme weather events due to lack of access to healthcare, cooling facilities and safe working conditions.
The seminar also raised broader concerns about social vulnerability, pointing to millions of children—many from labour families—who remain out of school. Speakers stressed that climate change is deepening existing inequalities and called for stronger protections for workers exposed to heat stress and environmental hazards.
Participants demanded transparent, independent investigations into major public health crises and stronger disaster reporting systems to ensure accurate data collection in future emergencies. They also urged the government to strengthen occupational safety standards and expand social protection for low-income communities.
Experts warned that rising temperatures in Pakistan are expected to increase the frequency and severity of heatwaves, making urgent policy action necessary to protect vulnerable populations.
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The discussion concluded with a call for integrating climate resilience into labour policy and urban planning, ensuring that future development prioritises both environmental sustainability and worker safety.