PAT Chairman Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that all the progress and development the world has ever made all due to labourers’ sweat. The labourers are the backbone of economy. He said that the dream of prosperity and growth will remain elusive unless the living standard of labourers is improved, noting that the very injustices being meted out to the labour class give rise to the exploitative system and this system is responsible for the proliferation of hatred and division in society. He remarked that the labour laws were not the panacea of all the problems the labourers are facing, further stating that the supremacy of law and constitution is essential to fulfill this cherished dream of a better living. Pakistan is a developing country and the labourers enjoy the status of backbone in our economy. He was talking to the leaders of Awami Tajir Ittehad in the central secretariat of PAT, Lahore.

Haji Muhammad Ishaq, the chairman of Awami Traders Union, Hafiz Ghulam Farid, central president, Altaf Randhawa, secretary general, Mahboob Elahi, Farooq Alvi and other were also present on that occasion. PAT Chairman said that he salutes the labourers for their endeavours to put the country on the track of progress despite the fact they have been the subject of exploitation and oppression. He warned the power that be to give up their enmity with the friends of Allah: the labourers otherwise they will have to meet a humiliating end. He said that it was tantamount to manifesting enmity with the labourers by not decreasing oil prices. He lamented that the products of capitalistic system, the rulers, were usurping the right of labourers.

Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri pointed out that the biggest problems of labourers are unemployment, inflation and the absence of standard education for their children. He urged the labourers to come forward and demand vociferously for their rights. He noted that those who formulate the policies for the labourers were in fact their biggest enemy. He informed the audience that the agenda of PAT was to bring about economic revolution in the lives of the working classes. He regretted that despite the fact that more than 65% population of Pakistan belonged to the labour class, the parliament was busy legislating for the 35% population of Pakistan. A few dozen billionaire families have held the whole labour class hostage. Our current rulers have erected their vast business empire on the bloods of labour class. The victims of 17 June Model Town barbarism also include workers.

Furthermore, an important meeting of Awami Traders Ittehad was held in main secretariat in which the leaders vowed that the labourers were ready to even sacrifice their lives for their rights as the courageous labourers of Chicago laid down their lives. A resolution was adopted in the meeting which demanded that the 10-point agenda of Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri must be implemented in order to bring about revolution in the lives of workers; all the anti-labour laws must be revoked; the minimum wage must be equivalent to the market value of one tola gold; and the inspection system of factories must be improved.