KHUZDA R: The Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights on Monday assured families of those killed in the fire on a ship at the Gadani ship-breaking yard that it would recommend to the government legislation to ensure protection of basic rights of labourers working at the yard and a halt to such tragic incidents in future.

Members of the committee, headed by its chairman Senator Nasreen Jalil, visited the Gadani yard.

Senators Farhatullah Babar, Muhammad Mohsin Khan Laghari, Nisar Muhammad, Sitara Ayaz and Samina Abid accompanied the committee chairman.

Kalat Division Commissioner Muhammad Hashim Ghilzai, Lasbela`s Deputy Commissioner Syed Zulfiqar Shah Bukhari and other of ficials concerned briefed the committee on the Gadani ship fire and steps taken by the provincial government for compensation of victims` families.

Speaking to families of the fire victims, Senator Farhatullah Babar said: `We have come here to condole with you, the families of victims of the Gadani tragedy.

He said the Senate committee would submit its recommendations to the government to prevent such tragic incidents in future and to ensure basic rights of labourers working in the ship-breaking industry.

`The committee will fight the case of Gadani victims in the Senate and all other forums,` Senator Babar pledged.

Bibi Waziran, a woman councillor of the Gadani Municipal Committee, informed the committee members that the tragedy had left 27 labourers dead and three others missing. She said that several families had lost their sole breadwinners in the tragedy.

She complained that after the incident the government had put a ban on the ship-breaking work and its allied activities in Gadani causing great difficulties for labourers whose families were totally dependent on daily wages earned from the work here.

Ms Nasreen Jalil assured the families of the victims that the committee would ask the government to immediately allow ship-breaking activities in Gadani so that workers and their families did not suffer more because of the ban.

Kalat Division Commissioner Muhammad Hashim Khan Ghilzai informed the committee about the measures taken by the provincial government for compensation of families of the victims. He said that payment of compensation to victims` f amilies had already started and four families had been paid compensation.

Labour union leaders and local bodies` representatives asked the Senate delegation members to get the provincial government set up a board to make ship breaking a formal industry.