- First National Conference led by NIRC since 1969.
- Judge Siddiqui, Senator Tantar to address the event.
- PNCA chosen as a place for a high -level meeting.
Islamabad: In relation to International Labor Day 2025, the National Commission of Industrial Relations (NIRC), in collaboration with the International Labor Organization (ILO), will organize an International Historical Conference on May 1 (tomorrow) in Islamabad.
The event, which will take place in the National Council of Arts of Pakistan (PNCA), has the issue of “harmony with change”, with the aim of promoting dialogue and consultation on workers’ rights, industrial harmony and legislation aligned with international standards in Pakistan.
This will be the first major national conference organized by the NIRC since 1969. The high profile meeting will have federal ministers, honorable judges of the Supreme Court and the higher courts, leaders of unions, industrialists, legal experts and Senior representatives of the ILO.
The conference will be inaugurated and chaired by the president of NIRC Justice (RETD) Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui. After his opening speech, the renowned jurist Barríster Zafarullah Khan will talk about “Rights and responsibilities of employers and workers in Islam.”
Judge Jamal Khan Commandkhail of the Supreme Court will deliver a special speech on “the role of the Pakistani judiciary to protect labor rights.”
Several technical sessions will also be held during the conference. The first session, entitled “Industrial harmony and social dialogue”, will be chaired by the former judge of the Supreme Court Justice (R) Khalil Rehman Ramday.
The panelists will include Muhammad As As Kichhi, managing director of Associated Press of Pakistan (Application); Tahir Yaqub Bhatti, president of Banco Zarai Taraqiati; Shoaib Adil, additional secretary of the Pakistan Railways; Faisal Nisar Chaudhry, managing director of Utility Stores Corporation; Mir Ibrahim Rahman, CEO of GEO TV; and Siraj Hussain, director of Unilever Pakistan.
Union leaders will also participate in the discussion panel. The session will be moderated by Salman Mansoor Siddiqui, general secretary of the Bar Association of the Supreme Court.
The second session, chaired by the Federal Minister of Pakistani abroad and the development of Human Resources Chaudhry Salik Hussain, will focus on “Complaint repair under the 2012 Industrial Relations Law” and “Pakistan’s commitment to the ILO conventions.”
The lawyer Imran Shafiq will join as a mediator, while Labor Expert Iftikhar Ahmed and the Judge of the Superior Court of Lahore, Jawad Hassan, will present their perspectives.
In the final session, the senator of the Federal Minister of Law and Justice, Azam Nazeer Tarar, will pronounce a speech on “the efforts to align the existing laws in Pakistan with international labor standards.”
The Country Director of the Oim Pakistan, Geir Tonstol, will deliver an opening speech on “The future of work.” The conference will conclude with the presentation of fees to distinguished guests, followed by lunch for all participants.
When describing the event as a milestone for labor rights and industrial harmony, Siddiqui said: “We 2025 are not simply a slogan; it is a vision rooted in dialogue, respect and association towards a better future.”
