Almost all the segments of life
effected severely due to the energy crises. Industrial sector was one of the
hard hit because of the energy shortage but some of the problems could be
solved just there is need to change the mindset.
Despite of the good news that Pakistan made
goods have easy access to the European Market, some of the American firms have
denied to do business with Pakistani firms not because these firms could not
fulfill the orders on time but they are unable to provide proper environment or
friendly atmosphere to the workers. But just because we ignore a problem, does
not mean it will go away, in the past International community has raised voice
against child labour working in some of the manufacturing factories in Pakistan
and up to some extent work was being done to eliminate child labour but a lot
more need to done.
We can read about the sad
incidents of a factory catching the fire which resulted the great lose of
precious human lives. One of such incident happened in Karachi
last year; a factory fire in Karachi killed 257
people, similar incident occurred in Lahore and a shoe making factory caught fire
and hundreds of workers were burnt alive. The Walt Disney Company, a large US-based
media and entertainment conglomerate, has decided that not only will it stop buying textile goods from
Pakistan itself, but will seek to have Pakistan placed on a
list of countries with which it and other companies that buy Pakistani textiles
will no longer seek to do any business. It is alarming news for the
manufacturing industry of Pakistani businessmen that if international market
would raise the issue seriously then all the efforts to hard earned easy preferential
access to the European market could go in vain.
There is no doubt that the textile
industry is essential to the health of the Pakistani economy, not only the
business community but also the government must take the issue very seriously
and make sure that there is no more ignorance towards the rights of workers. On
worker safety, the government must draw the line. There cannot and should not
be any compromise on the lives and safety of Pakistani workers. As for the
textile industry itself, it should look upon the cost of worker safety as an
investment in protecting its current market share. We must not become a nation
of ostriches, burying our heads in the sand every time we face a problem; we
must put all the efforts together to solve the issues, especially the one which
are putting bad name to out beloved country.
