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Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, Chairperson Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights presiding over a meeting of the committee at Parliament Lodges. — APP/File
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ISLAMABAD: The Senate’s Functional Committee for Human Rights on Tuesday expressed concern over the negligence, safety and rights of coal mining workers in Balochistan, and they provided immediate reforms and immediate delivery of ambulances, providing first aid, and emergency responding.
The committee met Senator Sameena Mumtaz Zahri in the chair there.
The committee considered the business of security, security and rights as well as children’s protection, security and rights, and critical legislation of minority rights in Balochistan.
The committee also received a detailed briefing on recent militant attacks and recent militant attacks targeting mines workers in the province.
Officials outlined existing intelligence operations and increased the security protocol. The briefing covered the identity of mines in the main operational areas, including public and private coal mines, and joint employment statistics.
It was noted that despite the existence of security rules, such as underground inspection and reservations against the weaker sections and coal dust, the implementation remained weak.
Senator Sameena Mumtaz Zahri expressed strong concerns over the department’s operational capacity, which questioned her lack of basic resources, such as fuel, vehicles and staff lack of staff.
He highlighted the harassment reports, refusing to perform the funeral rituals of the local madrassas, noting that it was a serious reflection of the systemic neglect. He added that broken safety equipment, such as ropes, showed seriousness about the welfare of the workers.
Senator Zahri said, “Institutions are being blamed for these failures. The poor who power the economy have also been denied the most basic rights.”
Representatives of the respective department also echoed the concerns, pointing to the severe absence of emergency infrastructure, including ambulances, rescue tools, and personal safety equipment.
Questions have been raised about delayed compensation for the dead workers, mine operations are underway despite safety violations, and instability of the current inspection system.
The committee called for immediate reforms, demanding immediate delivery of ambulances, first aid, and emergency respondents trained ambulances.
Senator Zahri recommended that 100 % registration of mines workers be completed by December 2025 and official employment agreements be issued to all workers.
He emphasized that such documents were necessary to prevent employers from denying responsibilities in the event of injury or death.
He concluded that the matter would be raised at the next meeting and the departments would be instructed to submit all the relevant documents to the authorities, as well as a comprehensive report to tackle the observations of the committee.
The meeting began with a debate on two bills, which transferred the “National Commission for Children’s Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2023” and “ICT Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2024”.
Moor expressed serious concern over the dissatisfaction of unorganized orphans and detention houses where weak children, especially girls, face abuse, are often rescued by powerful people.
He called for immediate legislation reforms to ensure the safety of children in such institutions.
The Chairperson of the National Commission of the Rights of the Children (NCRC) informed the committee that the Commission works in a consulting role and lacks executive powers, though it frequently inspected and inquires. It emphasized the need for legal assistance to collect data and improve policy implementation.
It supported the goals of the bill, and emphasized the importance of accessing data and the legal empowerment of institutions through a strong mandate.
