LAHORE  -   Justice Jawad Hassan of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed the Punjab labour secretary to appear in court on May 16 in personal capacity and submit a report on employment of children below 14 years at brick kilns across the province.

The court observed that it’s an exploitation of workers who were not being paid according to the notified wages. The judge observed that workers must be paid even if kilns remain closed during smog season. The judge told the law officer that the labour secretary should appear in person and submit a report on steps taken to curb child labour at brick kilns and inform the court about enforcement of Prohibition of Employment of Children at Brick Kilns Act 2016.

The court observed that after the landmark judgement given on enforcement of fundamental rights of domestic workers no exploitation shall be borne by the working class.

The court observed that the state had failed to take adequate measures to curb the menace of child labour. The judge observed there were laws to curb child labour but enforcement of these laws had not been very effective.

Sheraz Zaka Advocate appeared on behalf of petitioners Ashiq Masih and Human Voice, a non-profit organisation. He argued that Pakistan was a member of the International Labour Organisation and had ratified the convention on rights of the child. He argued that workers at brick kilns are being deprived of their wages during the winter season of smog as the industrial units remained closed. He argued that under payment of wages act 1936, workers at brick kilns cannot be deprived of their wages during the smog season.

After hearing the arguments, the court adjourned the hearing until May 16 observing that the matter is of public importance.

Court transfers defamation suit against Meesha Shafi

District and Sessions Judge (D&SJ) Lahore Muhammad Khalid Nawaz on Wednesday ordered transfer of a defamation suit, filed by actor and singer Ali Zafar against Meesha Shafi, to another court. The suit will be heard by Additional District and Sessions Judge Syed Amjad Ali on May 11.

D&SJ Muhammad Khalid Nawaz passed the orders while allowing an application filed by Meesha Shafi seeking transfer of the suit against her. The court had reserved the verdict after hearing arguments of the parties on Saturday and it was announced in open court today.

Meesha had pleaded with the court for transfer of defamation against her to another court while expressing a lack of trust in Additional District and Sessions Judge Shakeel Ahmad, who was entrusted with the hearing of suit.

She submitted that the judge assisted witnesses in furnishing answers during the recording of statements in the defamation case. Shafi also alleged that the judge had expressed displeasure with her lawyer “for no reason” and subsequently fined him Rs 10,000.

Ali Zafar had filed Rs 1 billion defamation case under the Defamation Ordinance 2002, after being accused of harassment. He denied all allegations levelled against him in a statement by Meesha Shafi.

In April 2018, Meesha Shafi had accused Zafar of harassing her on ‘more than one occasion.’