Sindh Expands E-Bike Program to Include Minority Workers.
On Sunday, the Sindh Workers Welfare Board (WWB) made the decision to include industrial workers from minority communities in its upcoming electric bike program, in addition to women.
The action takes place on August 11, which is National Minorities Day. It honors the pivotal speech given on August 11, 1947, by Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in which he emphasized that all citizens, regardless of religion, should have equal rights.
Rafique Qureshi, the Sindh Labour Secretary, emphasized the symbolic importance of this action in a statement, stating that “the white stripe in Pakistan’s flag represented minorities and their equal rights.”
Sebastien Lorion of the European Union has pointed out that religious freedom is still a problem in Pakistan due to frequent instances of mob attacks, forced conversions, and blasphemy cases.
Religious minorities in the nation face administrative and governance challenges, as State Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Kesoo Mal Kheal Das acknowledged just last month.
Kheal Das claims that the legislation creating the National Commission for Minority Rights has been accepted by both houses of parliament and is awaiting the president’s signature.
In Punjab and Sindh, the Parliamentarians Commission for Human Rights, in collaboration with the Centre for Social Justice, is carrying out an EU-funded project to enhance minority rights.
A group of senators who are not Muslims wrote to Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani in July, requesting that a minority caucus be established in the House to advocate for their rights.
Peter Charles Sahotra, the founding chairman of the Pakistan Minorities Movement, stated last year that minority communities in Pakistan experience discrimination and insecurity and urged the government to protect their constitutionally guaranteed rights.
Increased health insurance and solar-powered residences
The WWB also announced a number of additional measures to improve worker welfare.
According to the statement, “The Workers’ Accidental Health Insurance Scheme will now offer yearly health coverage worth Rs0.7 million, along with access to treatment in 270 hospitals nationwide.”
The WWB also announced a significant housing change, substituting entirely solar-powered homes for the workers’ apartments. Additionally, the board’s schools will be solarized, and students will receive two sets of uniforms annually.
According to the Sindh Labour Secretary, the marriage grant will be raised from Rs0.3 million to Rs0.5 million, and the death grant will be increased to Rs1 million in accordance with orders from Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
Qureshi stated, “The board is digitizing all of its operations to ensure fair and transparent service delivery to workers.”
After receiving official approval, the WWB will invest Rs3 billion in Shariah-compliant Sukuk bonds and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) in order to improve the institution’s financial standing and increase worker amenities.
Published in Daily Pak, August 10th, 2025
