LAHORE, Pakistan: Two poor Christian brothers who say they were detained and forced to work at a brick kiln after refusing to sign documents accepting a Rs. 600,000 debt they insist they never borrowed have regained their freedom following legal intervention by the EDGE Foundation, a human rights organisation, and an order of the Lahore High Court.

Amir Masih and Vishal Masih, residents of Kot Radha Kishan, had been working at the brick kiln for approximately four years. Following the death of their father, financial hardship forced the family to borrow approximately Rs. 200,000 from the kiln owner to meet their needs.

The brothers allege that the owner later claimed the debt had increased to Rs. 600,000 and pressured them to sign and thumbprint documents accepting the higher amount. They refused, insisting they had never borrowed Rs. 600,000.

According to the brothers, their refusal came at a devastating cost: they were prevented from leaving the kiln and forced to continue working under harsh and degrading conditions.

Family Turns to EDGE Foundation for Help

Unable to bear the situation any longer, the family sought outside help. The brothers’ paternal uncles, Yousaf Masih and Khalid Anwar, approached the EDGE Foundation on 3 September and requested urgent assistance to secure their release.

The EDGE Foundation took up the case and, through its lawyer Advocate Sohail Shahid Gill, filed a petition before the Lahore High Court on 7 September seeking the recovery and protection of Amir and Vishal.

The case came before Mr Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, who directed the concerned police officer to recover the brothers and produce them before the Lahore High Court on 9 September.

After Amir and Vishal appeared before the court and their statements were considered, the court

ordered that they be set at liberty.

For their worried family, the order brought enormous relief after weeks of uncertainty and fear over how long the brothers might remain trapped at the kiln.

“We Were Treated Like Slaves”

After securing their freedom, Amir and Vishal visited the EDGE Foundation’s office in Lahore and described the conditions they say they had endured.

The brothers alleged that they had been detained at the kiln for approximately two months and forced to work after refusing to sign documents acknowledging the disputed Rs. 600,000 debt.

They described being given very little food, inadequate drinking water and being made to live and work in extremely difficult conditions.

“We were treated like slaves,” they said while describing their ordeal.

According to their account, there were times when they went hungry and on some days a cup of tea was virtually all they received during long working hours. Finding sufficient food at night was also difficult.

They said they were forced to endure the intense summer heat without a fan or adequate arrangements to protect them from extreme temperatures. The brothers became ill and physically weak, but allege that they were nevertheless required to continue performing hard physical labour.

They also alleged physical mistreatment, assault, threats and intimidation during their detention.

The brothers further claimed that they were being paid substantially below the government-announced wage. According to their statement, although the announced rate was Rs. 2,500 for every 1,000 bricks, they were paid only Rs. 1,000 per 1,000 bricks.

For workers already struggling with debt, such alleged underpayment can make their situation even more desperate: earning less leaves them with even fewer realistic opportunities to repay a debt and escape dependence on the kiln.

Widowed Father’s Young Children Forced to Flee

Amir’s circumstances made the situation particularly distressing. He is a widower raising two very young children — Rebecca, approximately three years old, and Joshua, around 18 months old.

During the crisis, the children’s grandmother, Rehana, reportedly managed to leave the kiln with the children and her youngest son, Sahel, and sought refuge with relatives in Raiwind.

Amir and Vishal, however, remained behind.

Following their release, the brothers expressed their gratitude to the EDGE Foundation and its legal team for taking up their case and helping them regain their freedom.

Christian Brick-Kiln Workers Trapped by Poverty and Debt

The brothers’ experience highlights a much wider concern surrounding poor Christian brick-kiln workers in Pakistan, many of whom live in severe poverty and become dependent on financial advances from kiln owners to meet basic needs, medical expenses, family emergencies or periods when they are unable to work.

For workers with little education, few alternative employment opportunities and almost no savings, debt can create an enormous imbalance of power between the worker and kiln owner.

When low wages, disputed accounts and additional debt are added to that relationship, families can find it increasingly difficult to leave the kiln or challenge those controlling their employment.

Azhar S. Malik, Director of the EDGE Foundation, said the successful release of Amir and Vishal demonstrated why timely legal intervention is so important.

“We are thankful that Amir and Vishal are now free and that the Lahore High Court acted to protect their liberty. No debt dispute gives anyone the right to deprive another human being of his freedom or force him to work against his will.

“What these brothers have described is deeply disturbing. Poor workers borrow money because they are trying to survive, feed their children and meet their most basic needs. Their poverty must never become a licence for anyone to control or exploit them.”

Mr Malik said Christian brick-kiln workers are among some of the most economically and socially vulnerable people the Foundation encounters.

“Many Christian kiln workers have little education, very limited financial resources and few alternative opportunities for employment. When they find themselves in dispute with someone economically more powerful, they often feel they have nowhere to turn.

“This is why access to free legal assistance is so important. Poverty should never determine whether someone can defend his freedom and fundamental rights.”

Mr Malik said that when the family approached EDGE Foundation, the priority was to act quickly.

“When this family came to us, they needed urgent help. We arranged legal representation and approached the Lahore High Court because a person’s freedom cannot be made conditional upon accepting a debt that he disputes.

“Amir and Vishal went before the court as men who said they had been prevented from leaving their workplace. They walked out of court as free men. That is why access to justice matters.”

He added: “Their freedom is something to celebrate, but their experience must not simply be forgotten. The authorities must continue to address bonded and debt-based labour at Pakistan’s brick kilns and ensure that existing laws are enforced.

“The poorest worker deserves the same protection of the law as the most powerful person in society.”

For Amir and Vishal, the Lahore High Court’s order represents far more than the end of a legal proceeding. After approximately two months in which they say their freedom, health and dignity were taken from them, the two brothers are finally free to return to their family and begin rebuilding their lives.