Over 110 Christian sanitation workers in Wazirabad, Pakistan, employed under the "Suthra Punjab" initiative, were reportedly denied their full wages during the Easter holiday, leading to widespread protests and raising serious concerns about ongoing exploitation by a private waste management company contracted by local authorities.

According to reports, these workers received only partial payments—ranging from PKR 8,000 to PKR 12,000—despite continuing to perform their duties throughout the Easter period.

The affected workers stated that they are not formally included on the municipal payroll, leaving them vulnerable to the discretion of the private contractor responsible for sanitation operations under the provincial cleanliness campaign.

The issue was not isolated to Wazirabad alone. Another group of workers from Sindh, also employed by the same company, staged a protest on the road over withheld salaries. The situation escalated when a video emerged on social media, allegedly showing a company official attempting to run over a protester with a vehicle, which sparked public outrage.

In contrast, around 40 workers directly employed by the Municipal Committee Wazirabad reportedly received their salaries on time, highlighting a disparity between municipal and contract workers.

Workers described this exploitation as a routine occurrence under the new waste management setup, claiming that their grievances are consistently ignored.

The protests significantly disrupted sanitation services in several areas, resulting in garbage piling up and creating unsanitary conditions across the city. Local residents criticized the situation as a direct contradiction to the goals of the "Suthra Punjab" campaign, which aims to improve cleanliness and public health.

Company officials, however, denied the allegations, asserting that all employees would receive their full payments before Easter and dismissing claims of PKR 14 million in outstanding dues as baseless.

Despite these assurances, the delay in wage payments left many workers and their families unable to celebrate Easter, a significant religious festival for Christians, who make up a large proportion of sanitation workers in Pakistan despite being a small minority of the population.

This pattern of delayed or denied wages, especially around major religious holidays, has been reported in other cities as well, reflecting a broader issue of discrimination and marginalization faced by Christian sanitation workers in Pakistan.

Civic and business leaders have called on Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to intervene and take strict action against those responsible for the mistreatment of workers and the breakdown of municipal services.

The incident has renewed scrutiny of the working conditions and systemic inequalities faced by Christian sanitation workers, who are often relegated to the most menial jobs and denied basic rights and recognition.

ANI