Islamabad, May 14 A minority rights advocacy group has associated the recent deaths of sanitation workers in Pakistan to what it terms as "systemic discrimination" against Christians, who are involved in sewer cleaning jobs, a report has stated.
In a statement, Minority Concern said Christian sanitation workers in Pakistan have been facing unsafe working conditions, inadequate protective equipment and limited employment opportunities beyond sanitation work due to deep-rooted discrimination in the country, EWTN News reported.
On May 7, Shabbir Masih (33) died after he inhaled toxic gas in a 25-foot-deep sewer line in Faisalabad. Three days prior to his death, Shakeel Masih and Samar Masih died while cleaning a sewer line in Sahiwal. In April, three Christian workers died in similar incidents in Karachi, according to the report.
Minority Concern Director Alexander Mughal said, "Sanitary workers are indispensable members of society. No individual should risk their life simply for carrying out essential public service work.
“Protecting the rights and safety of Christian sanitary workers is not only a labour issue — it is a matter of human dignity, equality, and justice," Mughal added.
Christians comprise about 1.37 per cent of Pakistan's population and have complained about being pushed into low-paid sanitation work historically linked to marginalised castes in South Asia.
Christian sanitation worker Shafiq Masih has rejected official claims that proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is being provided to workers.
Speaking to EWTN News, he said, "Each of the Water and Sanitation Authority field office responsible for sewer maintenance reportedly has only one PPE suit, shown only to visiting officials or media. Even that imported suit from Japan is not suitable for local conditions — it is heavy and impractical. The death toll is higher than reported."
Masih, who helped set up a union of nearly 2,900 sanitation workers in Lahoreʼs Johar Town in 2023, said little has changed in over 20 years of service, EWTN News reported.
He said that authorities started hiring daily wage labourers after Christian workers refused to enter manholes without PPE.
Rights groups like Minority Concern have called on Pakistani authorities to end discriminatory hiring practices that push minorities into hazardous work.
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