Migration Jurisprudence from the South › Pakistan
Darshan Masih v. The State (brick kiln workers)
Supreme Court of Pakistan · Pakistan · 1990 · National court
Citation: PLD 1990 SC 513
Type of case: Constitutional and human rights
Outcome: Decided for the migrant side
Question
Must the State end bonded labour in brick kilns and protect workers who escape it?
What the court decided
Yes. The Court held bonded labour unconstitutional and gave interim directions; Parliament later passed the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1992.
In plain language
Families working in brick kilns in Pakistan were trapped by debts they could never repay. The Supreme Court said this was unconstitutional and ordered protection. A law banning bonded labour followed in 1992.
Dalam bahasa sederhana
Keluarga yang bekerja di tempat pembakaran batu bata di Pakistan terjerat utang yang tak mungkin dilunasi. MA menyatakan ini inkonstitusional dan memerintahkan perlindungan. UU yang melarang kerja ijon menyusul pada 1992.
Pertanyaan: Apakah negara wajib mengakhiri kerja ijon di tempat pembakaran batu bata dan melindungi pekerja yang melarikan diri?
What happened afterwards
- 1990: Judgment.
- 1992: Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act.
Sources
Open this decision in the interactive collection (compare, filter, Indonesian view, downloads).
Cite as: Institute for Migrant Rights (2026), Migration Jurisprudence from the South, version 0.1, https://theimr.org/court-decisions/d/pk-darshan-masih-1990/. This page summarizes a court decision for research and advocacy; it is not legal advice.