Pakistan advancing work on new National Occupational Safety, Health Policy

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is advancing work on a new National Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Policy, bringing federal and provincial governments, employers and workers together to strengthen prevention and make safe and healthy work a reality across Pakistan’s diverse economy. Convened by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD) with technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), the National Stakeholders’ Consultation in Islamabad reviewed the zero draft of the policy and its proposed implementation framework. The process engages government, employers and workers, complemented by perspectives from occupational health and social protection institutions, industry, OSH professionals, academia and other stakeholders. The proposed policy itself seeks protection across formal and informal employment and recognizes the different circumstances of women, young and older workers, persons with disabilities, migrant, home-based, domestic, agricultural and platform workers. “Pakistan is building this policy from the ground up. The process has started with evidence, moved through the provinces and brought employers and workers into the discussion. The aim is not simply to produce another policy document, but to develop a framework that Pakistan’s institutions can implement and workplaces can use, ” highlighted, Geir T Tonstol, ILO Country Director for Pakistan. The initiative comes as occupational safety and health assumes greater importance internationally. In 2022, the International Labour Conference recognized a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle and right at work. ILO Conventions No 155 and No 187 provide the fundamental international framework for national OSH policy, prevention, institutions and continuous improvement. For Pakistan, the policy process also responds to a rapidly changing world of work. Traditional workplace hazards increasingly intersect with extreme heat and climate change, chemical and biological hazards, technological change, psychosocial risks and new forms of employment. The zero draft therefore proposes a preventive and forward-looking approach while progressively extending protection to workers who may be harder to reach through conventional OSH systems. Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and HRD, said, “Pakistan’s economic progress must go hand in hand with the protection of the people who make that progress possible. A stronger national OSH framework can support safer workplaces, productive enterprises and Pakistan’s ambition to be a responsible and competitive participant in the global economy. ” The policy is also intended to strengthen coherence while respecting Pakistan’s devolved system of labour governance. Provinces retain responsibility for implementation and enforcement within their respective jurisdictions, while national coordination can facilitate shared priorities, exchange of experience, comparable information and engagement with International Labour Standards. Social dialogue is central to this approach. The participation of the Employers’ Federation of Pakistan (EFP) and the Pakistan United Workers Federation (PUWF) alongside federal and provincial governments is intended to ensure that the policy combines institutional priorities with the realities experienced by enterprises and workers. Strengthening OSH also supports Pakistan’s broader decent-work and development agenda. The consultation also marks another step in Pakistan’s continuing consideration of the ILO’s fundamental OSH Conventions. The policy is intended to strengthen the legal, policy, institutional and implementation environment and provide a basis for progressive alignment with Conventions Nos. 155 and 187 and consideration of their future ratification, consistent with Pakistan’s national priorities and constitutional arrangements. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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