ISLAMABAD             -          The major opposition parties in the Senate have demanded from the government to ensure safety of jobs of industrial workers and labourers who are being laid off amid COVID-19 outbreak despite certain official enactments in the prevailing circumstances.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the two major opposition parties in the upper house of the parliament, said industrial units were violating many directions of the government by sacking workers forcing hundreds of thousands of families to live below the poverty line.Former chairman Senate and PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani said, “Various industrial units have sacked their employees without assigning any reason,” contrary to “certain enactments brought by the federal government barring dismissal of workers in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.”“The termination and denial of salaries is taking place in a number of industries like food, textile, garments, glass, paper, electronics, pharmaceutical and others,” he said.