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Debt Bondage Traps Millions of Pakistan's Poorest, Including Christians

A leading human rights group, the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR), has raised alarm over widespread debt bondage in Pakistan, disproportionately affecting Christians. The group highlighted the case of 72-year-old Javed Masih, who has spent over three decades working at brick kilns to repay an unmanageable loan. ISHR describes debt bondage as a form of modern slavery, where workers toil endlessly without hope of escape. The US State Department estimates 4.5 million people in Pakistan are trapped in such conditions, including over one million children.

Key Points: Pakistan Debt Bondage Crisis: Millions Trapped in Modern Slavery

  • Debt bondage traps millions in Pakistan, with Christians disproportionately affected
  • 72-year-old Javed Masih has worked at brick kilns for over 30 years to repay a loan
  • Workers often illiterate, unaware of loan terms, and trapped by high interest rates
  • US State Department reports 4.5 million people in Pakistan work in slave-like conditions
3 min read

Rights group raises alarm over debt bondage of poor communities across Pakistan

Rights group ISHR reveals debt bondage affecting millions in Pakistan, with Christians disproportionately impacted. 72-year-old Javed Masih trapped for 30+ years.

"Debt bondage is not merely an economic issue. It is a form of modern slavery in which people toil endlessly under oppressive conditions without any hope of escape. - International Society for Human Rights (ISHR)"

Berlin, April 30

A leading international human rights organisation has highlighted the plight of the poorest section in Pakistan, including a disproportionate number of Christians, who are often trapped in debt bondage after taking cash advances from "dubious" moneylenders in times of need, without being informed of the terms and conditions.

Germany-based International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) said that individuals with no literacy are unaware of the risks involved in the loan agreement and are compelled to repay the debt through labour.

"Due to high interest rates and low wages, those affected often become increasingly indebted. Debt bondage is not merely an economic issue. It is a form of modern slavery in which people toil endlessly under oppressive conditions without any hope of escape," the rights body noted.

According to ISHR, Pakistani human rights activist Sajid Christopher of the Human Friends Organisation (HFO), in an email on February 3, expressed concern over a Christian family in Pakistan, who have been suffering under the burden of debt bondage for an unusually long time.

He mentioned that 72-year-old Javed Masih has spent more than three decades working at brick kilns, enduring persistent exhaustion from the hard physical labour and continuous struggle for basic survival.

"You can see from his skin that the brickworks dust has settled on it, and the weight of the bricks has bent his shoulders. The days at the brickyard begin before sunrise. Javed Masih and his family work in the summer heat, where every step kicks up dust, and in the winter until they can no longer feel their hands," the rights body quoted Christopher as saying.

The ISHR cited the activist, stating that a loan taken in desperation to ensure basic survival grew into an unmanageable debt, leaving Javed with a debt of Pakistani Rs 399,756, an amount far beyond his ability to repay.

"This debt binds him to the brickyard and keeps him trapped in a cycle where his work contributes not to his family's progress, but to servicing a debt that never diminishes," Christopher added.

The rights body said workers like Javed Masih are deprived of their rights and opportunities, with such conditions often extending into the next generations.

Citing a report by the US State Department, the ISHR said 4.5 million people in Pakistan toil like slaves, not only in brick factories but also as farm labourers and domestic servants, while more than one million children are forced to assist their parents, depriving them of education and healthy development.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
As an Indian, I feel deeply saddened for Javed Masih and his family. Working 30 years at a brick kiln just to repay a loan that never decreases - that's modern slavery indeed. The ISHR report mentions Christians being disproportionately affected, which shows how economic exploitation often targets minorities everywhere. We must stand against this injustice.
V
Vikram M
The US State Department says 4.5 million people in Pakistan are in slave-like conditions. That's more than the population of some countries! And over a million children forced to work instead of going to school. What a tragedy. Education is the only way out of this cycle, but how can they study when they're breaking bricks from dawn to dusk? 😔
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Nikhil C
ISHR is doing important work shining a light on this. But I'm also reminded that India's own Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act of 1976, while a good start, hasn't fully solved the problem here either. There are still bonded labourers in parts of UP, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu. Both nations need a more robust social safety net and micro-credit options to prevent people from falling into these traps.
R
Rohit P
Rs 399,756 is a huge amount for a brick kiln worker to repay. The moneylenders charge such high interest rates that the principal never gets reduced. Pakistan must implement financial literacy programs and provide alternative credit sources like India's MUDRA loans. This is a human rights crisis. Governments should coordinate to help these victims.

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