Labor rally in Karachi demands release of Maulana Hidayatur Rehman

KARACHI, May 01 (SABAH): Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Ameer Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman-led labor rally in Karachi demanded of the authorities to release the icon of resistance and labor rights activist Maulana Hidayatur Rehman who was put in jail for leading Gawadar Rights Movement, seeking due rights for fishermen.

A large number of labors and social activists participated in the rally taken out in the city by the National Labor Federation to commemorate the World Labor Day, here on Monday. The rally was taken out from Coast Guard Chowrangi to Ibrahim Haidri — a coastal neighborhood.

It is pertinent to mention here that JI Pakistan Ameer Sirajul Haq had appealed Labor activists across Pakistan to hold rallies for the release of Maulana Hidayatur Rehman on May I, the Labor Day.

Speaking on the occasion, Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman paid a rich tribute to Maulana Hidayatur Rehman over his activism for the rights of fishermen and other communities in Gawadar and other parts of Balochistan. He said that Gawadar Rights Movement– led by Maulana Hidayatur Rehman — has become an icon of labor rights struggle in the region.

He demanded of the government to accept all demands of the Gawadar Rights Movement and release Maulana Hidayatur Rehman.

Talking about the issues of labors in Sindh, he demanded of the Pakistan People Party government in the province to upgrade the minimum wage in accordance to the level of inflation in the country.

He said that the ruling PPP always chants the mantra of food, clothing and housing facilities for poor but on the ground it always adopts anti-poor policies.

The political party has been ruling over Sindh for more than one and half decades but it did nothing to ensure due rights for laborers, he said and demanded of the ruling party to play it’s due role to recognize the dignity of labor, instead of always taking sides with feudalism and feudal lords.

JI leader Usama Razi, NLF Karachi President Khalid Khan, Fishermen leader Hussain, Rights Activist Shahida and others also addressed the event.