Pakistán - Bonded and forced labour continues (2010)

In February, thousands of peasants from Sindh province went on a 14 day march demanding amendments to the Sindh Tenancy Act, 1950 which allows landlords to take large portions of their tenants’ harvest in part repayment of original loans and the related interest, thereby keeping peasants in a state of perpetual debt akin to bonded labour. Peasants are also demanding the implementation of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1992. Recent ADB investment provided in order to eliminate the loans owed by the peasants has allegedly been squandered by local authorities leaving farmers remaining in debt.