Pakistan Under Fire: Unsafe Labor Conditions for Sanitation Workers

Pakistan faces strong criticism over the unsafe conditions and treatment of sanitation workers following a series of fatal incidents. Amnesty International highlights these preventable tragedies and stresses the need for reform to eliminate hazardous manual sewer-cleaning practices, ensure safe working conditions, and address workplace discrimination and exploitation.

Pakistan is under international scrutiny following a rash of fatal incidents highlighting the perilous conditions faced by sanitation workers. Amnesty International has criticized the country's failure to abolish dangerous manual sewer-cleaning methods.

In one grim episode reported on July 4, two workers died and another was seriously injured by toxic fumes in Punjab's Chishtian district. This incident is part of a disturbing trend of preventable tragedies, as workers continue to operate in hazardous settings without adequate protective gear.

Since April 2026, at least 16 sanitation workers have succumbed to suffocation and toxic exposure during sewer cleaning operations, according to media reports. Amnesty International underscores the urgency of implementing safe labor practices while also highlighting broader issues, such as discrimination, low wages, and insecure employment, outlined in a joint report with the Centre for Law and Justice. The organization calls on Pakistani officials to take swift action to rectify these conditions.