ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has ordered that the word “civilian” be written instead of “Christian only” in advertisements for sweeper posts.
Expressing deep concern over the rising number of deaths among Christian sewer workers, the court issued clear directions for comprehensive safety reforms at both federal and provincial levels. It ruled that the matter concerns not only workers’ rights but also constitutional equality and human dignity, making immediate corrective measures essential.
Justice Inam Amin Minhas, while accepting public interest litigations filed by the Center for Rule of Law Islamabad Pakistan and Pakistan United Christian Movement, directed the government to urgently provide complete safety gear, gas monitoring devices, ventilation systems, and first aid facilities to sewerage workers nationwide.
In its written judgment, the court observed that a significant number of Christians are engaged in hazardous sewage work and that failure to provide protective equipment violates the fundamental right to life under Article 9. It emphasized that the state and its institutions are duty-bound to safeguard the lives of workers, whether they are employed directly or on contract.
The judgment stressed that sewer workers are “not machine parts,” and exposing them to toxic gases and life-threatening conditions without proper safety measures amounts to grave negligence. The court noted with concern that ministries were shifting responsibility among themselves, raising questions about whether public office has become a means of avoiding duty.
The federal government has been ordered to issue a circular to all federal and provincial ministries, government and semi-government bodies, and regulated private entities, directing them to ensure the provision of complete safety equipment to sewer workers.
The court directed all departments concerned to submit a detailed implementation report to the deputy registrar judicial within two months. It may be noted that the petition filed before the IHC stated that more than 70 Christian workers have lost their lives since 1988.
