The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) on Tuesday launched “Unveiling Exploitation and Abuse in the Brick Kilns of Punjab”, a study that exposes severe human rights abuses faced by brick kiln workers in Pakistan. Conducted in collaboration with the Pakistan Partnership Initiative (PPI), the investigation highlights systemic exploitation, gender-based violence, debt bondage, and widespread denial of basic labour rights of the brick kilns workers in the country.
The report is based on extensive field research in Faisalabad and Kasur-two of Punjab’s key brick kiln hubs-where surveys of 200 workers and in-depth interviews with 30 victims led to meticulously documented case studies. It also engaged trade unions, kiln owners, and officials from the Punjab Labour Department to provide a multi-stakeholder perspective.
Speaking at the launch event, Chairperson NCHR, Rabiya Javeri Agha, said that, “Today’s report follows months of fieldwork, interviews, and surveys identifying violence, exploitation, and abuse in Punjab’s brick kilns. It documents laws ignored, promises broken, and dignity denied.”
She said that the NCHR has been demanding reform in this most inhuman of sectors for long. “For all of us, ending bonded labour is not charity. It is not a favour. It is justice. and human dignity. It is the fulfilment of our Constitution’s promise.”
Chief Guest Justice Jawad Hassan, Lahore High Court, said that the evolution of bonded labour from colonial bondage to constitutional protections shows progress, but the brick kiln horrors remind us of unfinished work. “It is incumbent not just on the judiciary but also on the legislative and executive branches to work towards correcting these horrors and let this report ignite collective action for a Pakistan where no worker is bonded, and dignity prevails. He called for legislative reforms, judicial and institutional strengthening and collaborative action to end this extreme exploitation.
Guest of Honour Abdul Khalique Shiekh, Secretary Ministry of Human Rights said that “bonded labour is a violation of our Constitution, our laws, and our commitments under international human rights treaties.
He said that the Government has taken important steps-through amendments to labour laws, through initiatives like the Elimination of Bonded Labour in Brick Kilns project, through efforts to regulate advances, improve contracts, and provide identity documents. “But we know more is needed.”
He said that such studies are essential as they show us where the gaps remain-between law and enforcement, between policy and practice. “They remind us that passing laws is only the first step. Implementation is the true test of justice.”
In his remarks, Ashraf Wadhawa Mall, CEO PPI said that the study reveals the extreme conditions faced by brick kiln workers in Pakistan. “These families endure generations of bonded labor, abuse, and deprivation of their fundamental rights. Our mission is to end this cycle of suffering through a business-approach model that empowers families with sustainable livelihoods.”
He said that so far, they have successfully rescued and rehabilitated 2,339 families from brick kilns across Pakistan. “Each family has been supported in setting up small businesses, while their children have been given access to quality education and vocational training.”
The study documents extreme abuses ranging from verbal and physical harassment to cases of abduction and even murder. Women workers remain especially vulnerable, subjected to rampant sexual harassment, coercion, and forced marriages. Workers continue to labour in unsafe, unhygienic, and exploitative conditions under extreme weather, often receiving wages well below the legal minimum and without access to social security.
It study shows that 97 per cent of workers enter kilns because of urgent loans, 90 per cent have no written contracts leaving them invisible to labour protections and over 70 per cent of families live in a single cramped room. It further reveals that 92 per cent of the workers report verbal abuse, many describe beatings, abductions, even torture.
The study highlights the weak enforcement of workplace standards, particularly in smaller kilns. It also reveals the absence of gender-sensitive monitoring, harassment protections in bonded labour laws, structured rehabilitation programs, and social protection systems. Fragmented complaint mechanisms and limited outreach by District Vigilance Committees further aggravate the vulnerability of workers.
The study calls for urgent reforms. These include ratification of outstanding labour conventions, strict enforcement of minimum wage laws, stronger protections against harassment, effective monitoring mechanisms, and greater social security coverage.