The Islamabad High Court has blasted the government for allowing decades of deadly neglect in sewer work—an industry where Christians make up more than 80% of the workforce but also nearly 100% of the deaths.
Since 1988, over 70 sewer workers have died inside toxic manholes. That’s an average of 2 deaths every year, with more than 10 deaths just since 2019. Most of these workers went down with no masks, no gas detectors, no safety gear—nothing.
Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas asked the question everyone else avoids:
“Are the lives of sewerage workers less valuable than those of other citizens?”
A Job That Can Kill in Minutes
Workers are sent into manholes filled with gases like hydrogen sulfide, which can kill a person in 10–30 seconds. Many die instantly; others suffocate or collapse due to toxic fumes. Survivors suffer from:
- Lifelong breathing problems
- Organ damage
- Skin and stomach infections
- Reduced life expectancy
A gas detector costing under Rs. 10,000 could save lives—but most workers have never seen one.
Christians Forced Into the Riskiest Jobs
Christians make up less than 2% of Pakistan’s population, yet they carry out the bulk of the country’s most dangerous sanitation work. Many are hired on daily wages with no insurance, no medical coverage, and no legal protection.
This is not accidental—it is systemic discrimination. Generations of Christian families have been pushed into sewer work because:
- Other communities avoid it
- Government departments rely on them
- Social stigma keeps them trapped in low-status jobs
The result: A tiny minority pays the highest price in lives.
Government Negligence: 37 Years and Counting
For nearly four decades, different ministries and departments have passed the blame while:
- No national safety policy has been enforced
- No proper training has been given
- No life insurance has been guaranteed
- Thousands of workers remain exposed daily
Despite repeated warnings and deaths, basic safety rules are not followed anywhere in the country—not in cities, not in smaller towns, not even in Islamabad.
The court called it what it is: a complete failure of duty.
What the Court Has Ordered Now
The Islamabad High Court has issued strong new directives:
- Mandatory safety gear for every sewer worker
- Gas detectors and ventilation equipment must be provided
- Private companies must follow safety rules, not just government departments
- New laws or amendments must protect workers’ rights, insurance, and compensation
- All departments must submit a compliance report within 2 months
This is the strongest push for reform in years—but implementation will decide everything.
The Human Reality Behind the Numbers
Every year, dozens of families—mostly Christian—lose husbands, sons, and fathers. Many widows receive no compensation. Children drop out of school because the sole earner is gone. Survivors live with permanent disabilities and no support system.
All of this suffering could be prevented with:
- A gas detector
- A proper mask
- A harness
- Training that lasts less than a day
Lives are being lost because the government refuses to spend a small amount to save human beings.