Respectable Prime Minister Imran Khan,
On behalf of (late) Uzma, who was a domestic worker and was brutally murdered by the ladies whom she had been serving for years, I would like to remind you of your speech that you delivered when you got selected as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, you said:
“…Briefly, I want to describe the kind of Pakistan I want to see…look, my inspiration is the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the city of Medina that he founded, how it was based on humanity. For the first time, the state was formed based on humanitarianism. That is my inspiration, that Pakistan should have that kind of humanitarian state, where we take responsibility for our weaker classes. The weaker are dying of hunger. I will try my best - all of my policies will be made to raise our weaker classes...”
Like me and many other Pakistanis, Uzma also had lots of expectations from you. But unluckily, she was too oppressed to raise her voice and tell you about the storms she was going through in her life. She was so powerless and unfortunately could not approach the media or you, but you were all in power and like you said “…Pakistan should have that kind of humanitarian state, where we take responsibility for our weaker classes.” You categorically assured to take care of the rights of the domestic workers in your speech, then how did the owners pick up the courage to torture and murder her. You came in power in July 2018 and she died in January 2019. Her owners kept on abusing, torturing and harassing her. They so very easily planned and executed her murder in your country and nobody reported against them. What type of society is this?
In western countries people can’t even shout at their dogs or cats, because animals have proper rights there. Nobody can violate the rights of the animals. Similarly, the developed countries respect the rights of plants. Once in Canada, I got a chance to visit Halifax Public Gardens, there was a plant named 'Agave'. Cold weather did a great deal of damage to the plant and the garden management and the visitors were literally crying when they were cutting the pods of the tree. But, unfortunately in Pakistan people don’t respect the lives of human beings, what to say about animals and plants.
It will be very painful for your nation to bury another Uzma in future. This is the high time and a humble request to introduce proper rights and laws for domestic workers. By no way people should be able to abuse, harass, torture, hire and fire or murder the workers. At least there should be some system or task force that may induct domestic workers and keep check on the owners as well.
I wish in Pakistan the domestic workers may enjoy their rights as per the Hadith of Holy Prophet (PBUH):
"Your slaves (or servants) are your brethren upon whom Allah has given you authority. So, if one has one's brethren under one's control, one should feed them with the like of what one eats, and clothe them with the like of what one wears. You should not overburden them with what they cannot bear, and if you do so, help them (in their hard job)." - Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.721 Narrated by Al Marur bin Suwaid.
