Pakistan lacks independent industrial safety law: Government

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has no independent industrial safety law to protect workers against hazards and accidents, according to the government though the country has a history of several such fatal accidents.

"There is no independent legislation on occupational safety and health issues in Pakistan," Human Resource Development Minister Sadaruddin Shah Rashidi conceded in the Parliament.

The minister made the remarks in the National Assembly - the Lower House - yesterday while responding to questions.

Rashidi also said that he was not in a position to give a timeframe to develop any such law.

To another question, he said that Pakistan's Supreme Court directed the government two years ago to develop industrial safety laws after consulting the province but the court did not give any deadline.

Yesterday's remarks came months after criticism over lack of legal framework to provide safety to workers in the wake of collapse of an industrial complex in Lahore in November, 2015 which killed at least 45 workers.

At least 255 workers were still struggling to get justice after they were killed in the factory fire in 2012 in Karachi.