ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Overseas and Human Resource Development Sajid Hussain Turi during his three-day official visit to Quetta visited the Hana Orak flood- affected area of Baluchistan on Wednesday.
The Minister is accompanied on the visit by Provincial Labour Minister Nawabzada Ghoram Khan Bugti, ILO delegation and officials of the All Pakistan Labor Federation, and political leaders from Pakistan People’s Party Baluchistan. According to a press release, the Minister launched a great initiative of Cash for work in Hana Orak. The initiative has been launched in collaboration with ILO. Addressing the function, the Minister hailed the initiative as a “great opportunity.”
Under Cash for Work, the workers will work on the restoration of their houses and business and for which they will be paid a daily wage. The Minister said that Pakistan experienced floods that have affected the livelihood of more than 33 million people in 84 districts across the country.
He said more than 3.6 million people have lost their jobs. Daily wage and industrial workers are the most affected. Pakistani government and international agencies like ILO are coordinating to take a lead in response and allocation of resources to expedite the rehabilitation process, the Minister added.
He said his Ministry has started rehabilitation of affected laborers and workers from Baluchistan in collaboration with ILO. Cash for work is an excellent initiative in this regard. He expressed his gratitude to ILO for its determination to provide timely employment assistance to workers. The Minister added that saving workers from unemployment is the first priority of the incumbent government. He ensured the full cooperation of the ministry to international departments including ILO.
He said Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has given clear instructions to restore the employment of laborers immediately. He said it is important to provide timely assistance to flood-affected workers so that they can overcome the devastating effects of floods. “We will never leave the workers, laborers, and builders alone,” the Minister said.