Rs7.5m paid to heirs of worker died outside LHC

LAHORE: A multinational company (MNC) has paid Rs7.5 million to the family of a former employee and trade union leader, who died by suicide earlier this year in Lahore, reportedly in protest over delayed justice.

According to media reports, Asif Javed, a union leader at the company’s Kabirwala-based food and beverage plant, was dismissed in 2015 along with several colleagues for allegedly forming a trade union. The National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC) later ordered their reinstatement and payment of dues, but the company challenged the ruling in the Lahore High Court (LHC), where the case had remained unresolved for five years.

On February 25, after attending a court hearing, Javed set himself on fire outside the courtroom. He was rushed to hospital but died three days later. His death sparked outrage on social media, highlighting the long-standing labour dispute.