Legislation introduced to protect sanitation workers in Pakistan's Punjab province

A Muslim lawmaker in Pakistan’s Punjab Provincial Assembly, Ahmad Iqbal Chaudhry, introduced the Punjab Waste and Sanitation Workers (Dignity, Safety, Security and Welfare) Bill 2026 on September 1. The proposed legislation aims to mandate occupational safety standards, protective equipment, and social security for sanitation workers, a labor force that includes a significant number of Christians.

The bill follows a series of workplace fatalities, including the deaths of four workers in Sahiwal and Faisalabad earlier this year. Reports indicate that these individuals died after exposure to toxic gases while cleaning manholes without adequate safety gear. Chaudhry, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee-III, stated that hundreds of workers have died in the line of duty due to hazardous conditions.

Chaudhry noted that the majority of those performing the most dangerous sanitation tasks belong to the Christian community, often representing some of the most vulnerable segments of society. The bill seeks to replace temporary administrative responses to accidents with permanent legal protections to ensure the safety and dignity of these essential workers.