No Development Without the Prosperity of Working Classes – Khurram Nawaz Gandapur

1. Providing Rights to Laborers is the State’s Fundamental Duty: Secretary General PAT
2. Pakistan Awami Tehreek Will Raise Its Voice for Workers’ Rights on Every Forum
3. Speeches Are Not Enough on Labour Day—Practical Steps Are the Need of the Hour: Address at May 1st Ceremony

On the occasion of International Labour Day, a ceremony was held at the central secretariat under the auspices of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT). The event was presided over by PAT’s Secretary General Khurram Nawaz Gandapur. The meeting was attended by central, provincial, and district leaders of PAT, individuals from various walks of life, and representatives of labor unions.

In his address, Khurram Nawaz Gandapur stated that May 1st is observed globally to commemorate the sacrifices and struggles of workers. However, this day also reminds us that millions of workers are still deprived of their fundamental rights. He pointed out that the working class in Pakistan continues to suffer from poverty, exploitation, low wages, and lack of basic amenities like social security. Such conditions are unacceptable in any civilized society.

He emphasized that it is the state's responsibility to provide workers with a safe, dignified, and just economic system, where their wages are commensurate with their labor and they are afforded social protection. Expressing his concern, he said that in many factories and industrial units, workers are made to work long hours without overtime pay, which is a clear violation of international labor laws.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur highlighted that Islam was the first to honor labor and urged that a worker be paid before his sweat dries. He stressed the need to adopt this principle to establish a just system. He called on the government to increase the minimum wage in line with inflation, and to provide every worker with a health card, education for their children, and pension facilities for the elderly.

He reiterated that Pakistan Awami Tehreek will raise its voice for laborers’ issues on every platform, stating that the prosperity of workers is the guarantee of the country’s progress. The gathering reaffirmed its commitment to building a Pakistan where every laborer can live a dignified and secure life.

Prominent leaders including Raja Zahid Mehmood, Mian Rehan Maqbool, Noorullah Siddiqui, Noor Ahmed Sahoo, Qazi Shafiq, Arif Chaudhry, and Sardar Umar Daraz also attended the event.