Despite Pakistan outlawing bonded labour decades ago, the practice continues, hidden in the shadows and exacerbated by economic crises and poor enforcement.
For hundreds of thousands of families, brick kilns have become places of generational enslavement, where debts are passed from parent to child, binding them to a life of harsh labour. In Pakistan, approximately 4.5 million workers in around 20,000 kilns remain unheard.
The debt cycle in these brick kilns is crushing. Workers often borrow small amounts for urgent needs, but these loans, compounded by corruption and unforeseen illnesses, spiral into lifelong bondage. Sexual abuse, trafficking, and severe human rights violations further compound the injustices faced by these workers.
In response to this crisis, permanent minority rights activist Joseph Janssen, of the Jubilee Campaign, recently embarked on a mission to Pakistan, aiming to free Christian families trapped in brick kiln slavery and to seek justice for young girls and women who had been abducted and forcibly converted.
Collaborating with local organisations, the team successfully rescued 100 individuals, including children, elderly family members, and five women who had endured over a decade of sexual enslavement.
Among those rescued are individuals whose stories reveal unimaginable torment. One such survivor, Safia Khuram, endured over a decade of sexual enslavement.
Born into a life of hardship at a brick kiln, Safia began working alongside her parents as a young child. Her family was bound to the kiln by her father’s debt of approximately 100,000 rupees (around 800–900 euros), a burden that kept them enslaved.
After marrying a fellow worker, she continued the relentless labour, enduring scorching temperatures each day while producing bricks.
However, her hardships didn’t end with physical labour. The brick kiln owner, Haji Abdul Gafoor, along with others, began sexually abusing her from the age of 12 years old. The sexual abuse continued after her marriage, exploiting moments when her husband was away.
This abuse, which lasted 10 to 12 years, came with threats of violence if she resisted. The physical and emotional scars were deepened by the daily demands to produce 2,000 bricks in temperatures reaching 48 degrees Celsius. When she couldn’t meet these demands, beatings and withheld wages became routine.
Another rescued woman, Mehwish Shouqat, recalls a similarly harrowing experience. Born in Faisalabad and married into kiln labour, she and her husband, burdened by debt, were forced to work beyond their physical capacities.
The owner demanded she terminate a pregnancy to remain in the labour force, and she ultimately lost one child under his pressure.
For years, her family faced violence, and she endured repeated assaults, trapped by debt and unable to escape.
Following these rescues, Joseph Janssen is providing legal aid to establish identity documents for the survivors, as many, including children, had no official identification. Additionally, the campaign is offering shelter, food, and skills training to help them start anew.
This support brings hope for a life free from enslavement, a life in which they can work toward independence and regain control of their destinies. However, the stories of Safia, Mehwish, and others highlight a deeper issue—the urgent need for Pakistan to enforce its laws, end sexual abuse and exploitation in these industries, and protect its most vulnerable workers, Janssen added.
Pakistan is a signatory to several international treaties and conventions that obligate it to eliminate bonded labor and human trafficking. Under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Pakistan is required to ensure the protection of fundamental rights, including the right to freedom from forced labour.
Pakistan must not only strengthen the enforcement of its domestic laws but also fulfill its international obligations, provide adequate protection and rehabilitation for victims, and take concrete steps to meet these commitments while upholding the dignity and rights of its citizens.
