More than 70 Christian sanitation workers have reportedly died from exposure to toxic gases in Pakistan since 1988. Although Christians represent just 1.37% of the country’s population, they are estimated to account for 80% of its sanitation workforce, according to a written statement circulated at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The figures expose allegations of systematic discrimination against Pakistan’s Christian minority, whose members are disproportionately employed in dangerous sanitation jobs, frequently without adequate protective equipment.
The document, submitted by the NGO International Support for Human Rights and circulated on September 24, 2026, reports that 16 sanitation workers have died since April 2026 alone from suffocation and exposure to toxic gases.
It also cites research indicating that 78.6% of surveyed sanitation workers had never received personal protective equipment, while 57.1% reported workplace injuries.
Christians disproportionately exposed to deadly working conditions
According to the organization, the dangers faced by Christian sanitation workers are closely linked to religious discrimination and longstanding caste-based prejudices.
The submission alleges that Pakistani municipal authorities have published recruitment advertisements explicitly targeting non-Muslims or people from lower-caste backgrounds for sanitation work.
Research cited in the document indicates that 55% of surveyed workers identified their religious or caste identity as a factor that pushed them into sanitation employment, while 44% reported experiencing discrimination daily.
The organization argues that such practices effectively trap members of religious minorities in hazardous, poorly paid occupations.
Their vulnerability is compounded by economic insecurity. Sanitation workers reportedly earn between 18,000 and 25,000 Pakistani rupees per month, while some municipal employers allegedly use temporary contracts to avoid providing permanent employment benefits.
Workers who complain about dangerous conditions reportedly risk losing their jobs, leaving many with little choice but to accept potentially fatal assignments.
Calls for international intervention
International Support for Human Rights is urging the UN Human Rights Council to investigate allegations of religious and caste-based discrimination in Pakistan’s sanitation sector.
It is calling for an end to discriminatory recruitment practices, a ban on hazardous manual sewer cleaning, stronger workplace protections and accountability for authorities and contractors responsible for exposing workers to dangerous conditions.
The submission also highlights legal action by Pakistan’s National Commission for Human Rights seeking a complete ban on manual sewer cleaning.
The allegations raise serious questions about the protection of Pakistan’s Christian minority, particularly when religious identity appears to be associated with disproportionate exposure to life-threatening work.
The statement was officially circulated as a UN document but represents the allegations and recommendations of the submitting NGO, not findings formally adopted by the Human Rights Council.
