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JEDDAH, 26 May 2008 — Court bureaucracy has further impeded the case of five Pakistani mechanics, who for five years have not been paid their salaries and are living destitute in a rundown defunct factory in south Jeddah. In order to get their case moving, the five men need a Power of Attorney (POA) to enable their lawyer to act on their behalf. However, officials at the Jeddah Court refused to issue a POA, as some of the men do not have iqamas. “The notary public refused to issue a POA because some of the mechanics are residing in the Kingdom on temporary permits and not iqamas,” said Majdi Al-Khair, a lawyer from Ahmed Zaki Yamani Law Firm, which volunteered to represent the men. “He said that we have to contact the Ministry of Interior to get their iqamas. It’s going to be a long procedure,” Al-Khair added. Three of the men — Waris Hussain, Abdul Aziz Shakir and Khaled Parwez — do not have iqamas as the textile mill for which they worked is in debt of SR19,833,336. The other two men — Abdul Hamid and Muhammad Aslam — were able to renew their iqamas by borrowing money from friends and relatives. The three men who do not have iqamas were given temporary permits following a ruling issued in their favor by the Preliminary Commission for Settlement of Labor Disputes in the Makkah Region. “I have so many family responsibilities. I have to take care of seven daughters, my wife and my sister in Pakistan. Now that I’m in trouble, my in-laws and friends are looking after my family, but for how long?” said Aslam. “We just want to get what we’re owed and return home,” he added. Following a report about the men’s plight in the Arab News last week, it was revealed that a sixth man, a Yemeni national, is also in a similar situation. Adbo Muhammad has not been paid for five years, is ill and in debt. “I worked in this factory for 50 years. I’m in my 70s now; I’m diabetic and hypertensive. I have a family of four boys and four girls, and I’ve only survived because of good doers,” he said. “I didn’t file a complaint at the Labor Office, as I really don’t have time. I need to look after my family. The owner has been promising us for two years that the factory will be auctioned and we’ll get our money. Nothing’s happened yet,” he added. Dr. Mufleh Al-Qahtani, vice-chairman of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), told Arab News that the NSHR received a complaint on behalf of the workers along with documents relating to their case. “We’ll address the Ministry of Interior to speed up the process of obtaining their iqamas,” he said. Meanwhile, a spokesman at the Consulate of Pakistan in Jeddah said the mission had provided the men with support throughout their court case. “They won the case with our assistance. However, the payment needs to be secured through the Saudi system,” he said. One of the men, Muhammad Aslam, has not visited his family in Pakistan for four and half years. Another man, Waris Hussain, has not visited his family for six years. Commenting on the previous Arab News report, in an e-mail, Hussain’s daughter Ayesha told Arab News, “After a long time I saw my dad’s picture in the newspaper... He looks really old. Will he ever get his money and come back to us?” |
