In Pakistan, Senate committee orders Suthra Punjab to submit documents in worker death case
In Pakistan, the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights has instructed the Suthra Punjab institution to submit documents in the case concerning the death of an employee of the Gujranwala Waste Management Company (GWMC). During a meeting in Islamabad, senators Abid Sher Ali of PML-N and Awami National Party chairman Aimal Wali Khan argued over the tone of questions addressed to officials, Dawn reports.
The committee, chaired by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, examined the circumstances of the worker's death. According to officials, he worked at GWMC in 2024–2025, and his contract ended on May 31. They stated that the death occurred after his employment had ended.
Different versions of the circumstances
Aimal Wali Khan said the worker had been paid only half of his salary and that, in his view, this drove him to suicide. The GWMC chief executive denied the claims, saying bank records showed that the full salary had been paid and that the worker had problems performing his duties.
According to officials, the man was initially engaged through a contractor in 2025, later rehired and assigned to the IT room at the Suthra Punjab office as a naib qasid. He was later dismissed for improper conduct, the committee was told.
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The GWMC chief executive also said that the worker's widow and children had been given compensation, including a plot of land purchased with the assistance of the chamber of commerce and industry. Khan asked why the plot had been provided if the worker was no longer in service at the time.
Documents and compensation
Committee members questioned Suthra Punjab's use of an outside contractor to provide staff instead of direct employment. Senator Qurratulain Marri pointed out that the law on Suthra Punjab came into force in 2026, while the incident occurred in 2025.
The committee instructed Suthra Punjab to submit all relevant documents and copies of legislative acts for 2025 and 2026. Officials were also asked whether there was a mechanism to protect workers' rights other than financial compensation. The chair ordered that the deceased man's family be invited to the next meeting so it could present its position.
On July 1, a Suthra Punjab worker in Gujranwala set himself on fire in protest over the non-payment of his full salary and died from his injuries two days later. One official said that the contractor had illegally withheld a significant part of the workers' monthly salary, which amounted to 21,000 Pakistani rupees.
