At least three coal miners were shot dead by unidentified armed men in Pakistan's Balochistan province, local media reported on Sunday.
The incident happened in Harnai district's Zalawan area in the wee hours of Sunday, Dawn newspaper reported. A senior police official said that the assailants arrived at the coal mine and opened fire on the colliers, leaving three of them dead on the spot.
Back in August, armed men had gunned down three coal miners in a coalfield some 70 kilometres from Quetta. The Dawn report said that over 100 coal miners were killed this year in Pakistan.
Last week, Pakistan Human Rights Commission (HRCP) expressed concerns over rights violations and deplorable working conditions in Balochistan's coal mines.
At least 176 miners have been killed and 180 injured in mining accidents this year, Dawn reported, citing the data provided by Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation. Miners in Balochistan also face the risk of targeted attacks by non-state actors, according to HRCP.
Given that coal mining is internationally classified as a hazardous occupation, mine owners and contractors must ensure that every mining site has a functioning ambulance service and an on-site emergency health worker, and that regular internal safety inspections are carried out, a veteran member of the rights body, Husain Naqi, said at a press conference in Quetta.
According to the HRCP, many labour union representatives also say they are deeply unhappy with the contractor system of operating coal mines because contractors have little stake in ensuring the safety and security of their workers and resort to cost-cutting measures.
It is also a matter of concern that, in many cases, contractors themselves function as the heads of labour unions, which is a potential conflict of interest. Moreover, the compensation for death and injury is lower in Balochistan (i.e. Pakistani Rs 300,000) compared to other provinces (Rs 500,000).
( With inputs from ANI )
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