Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said his country would ensure that its citizens, working on Qatar’s World Cup infrastructure projects, enjoy proper labor rights following repeated reports of abuse and mistreatment.
Qatar has accelerated the time to implement a construction program in preparation for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, making it subject to intensive scrutiny by human rights organizations and labor associations.
Earlier this year, Amnesty International warned that despite “emerging reforms”, Qatar was running out of time to get rid of the serious and widespread exploitation of thousands of migrant workers, most of them from South Asia.
Reports emerged about unpaid wages, the seizure of passports by employers, and some personnel working for 148 consecutive days without a day-off.
Qureshi welcomed Qatar's plans to provide 100,000 work permits to his countrymen, but stressed that the rights of World Cup workers must be respected.
“Certainly we will ask our embassy and we will ask the recruiting agencies to give better terms,” he told AFP during a visit to Brussels.
“Where we feel Pakistani labor is contributing, we feel they should be looked after as well,” he added.
Qatar, for its part, insists it is committed to labor reform, but has partially abolished the exit visa system, which requires workers to obtain permission from employers before leaving the country.
Qureshi stressed that his country would press for more labor rights.
“I think other things can be negotiated, such as health coverage and things like that, and we will talk to them about these issues,” he said.
