Workers struggle to make ends meet on International Labor Day in Pakistan

Ahmed Ali, a young man from Nowshera District, has been supporting his family of seven by selling 'Qahwa' (green tea) since the age of six. Despite being diabetic and having a seriously ill daughter, Ahmed works hard to meet his family's basic needs.

Syed Nadeem Mashwani

As the world celebrates International Workers' Day, the conditions for workers in Pakistan continue to deteriorate due to poverty, unemployment, inflation, and low wages.

Ahmed Ali, a young man from Nowshera District, has been supporting his family of seven by selling 'Qahwa' (green tea) since the age of six. Despite being diabetic and having a seriously ill daughter, Ahmed works hard to meet his family's basic needs.

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Inflation has hit the poor hard, with many deprived of government aid such as free flour. Ahmed says that it has become difficult for laborers to earn two meals a day and that politicians only show up during election season and then disappear for years. However, he is grateful for the help he receives from lawyers in the court who keep the stove burning in his house.

Meanwhile, the caretaker Provincial Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Barrister Firoz Jamal Kakakhel, acknowledged the need for a labor-friendly budget but noted that the previous government had looted the national treasury and left little money to pay salaries.

He emphasized the importance of permanent solutions to relieve the poor from crises, including negotiations between political parties and simultaneous elections across the country.

As workers around the world mark International Workers' Day, it is a reminder of the struggles and challenges faced by laborers like Ahmed Ali in Pakistan, and the need for government policies and actions that prioritize the well-being of workers and their families.