LAHORE: A multinational food and beverage company has paid Rs7.5 million to the family of Asif Javed, a former employee and trade union leader who died earlier this year after setting himself on fire outside the Lahore High Court (LHC) in protest against prolonged legal delays in his employment case.
The payment, made in the form of two cheques of Rs3.75 million each to Javed’s two widows, was confirmed during a hearing at the LHC on Monday. The MNC’s legal counsel told the court the payment was being extended purely on “humanitarian grounds” and not as a formal settlement of dues or liability.
Asif Javed had been leading efforts to organise a trade union at the company’s plant in Kabirwala, Punjab, and was terminated in 2015 along with several other workers allegedly due to union-related activity. The affected employees challenged the dismissals, and in 2019 a local labour court ordered their reinstatement along with back pay.
However, the MNC appealed the verdict before the National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC), which dismissed the appeal on November 23, 2020. The company subsequently approached the Lahore High Court in December 2020, where the case had remained unresolved for over four years.
On February 25, 2025, following yet another hearing in the protracted legal process, Javed left the LHC premises and immolated himself in public view. He was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries three days later. His death drew widespread condemnation, especially on social media, where users expressed frustration over systemic failures in delivering timely justice to workers.
The hearing on Monday was presided over by Justice Khalid Ishaq. Advocate Izzat Fatima appeared on behalf of the deceased worker and his family, while representatives of the MNC and officials from the Labour Department were also present. Upon presentation of the payment, the judge ordered the amount to be divided equally between Javed’s two wives.
Speaking to Dawn.com, Advocate Fatima confirmed the receipt of the cheques by the bereaved family. However, she clarified that the payment was “neither compensation nor acknowledgement of wrongdoing” by the company. Instead, it was framed by both parties as a humanitarian gesture.
The court, taking into account the payment and the family’s acceptance, subsequently disposed of the pending petitions from both sides regarding the dismissal and reinstatement of Javed and other affected workers.
Labour rights activists say Javed’s tragic death highlights persistent issues in Pakistan’s labour justice system — including slow adjudication, inadequate protection for union activity, and weak enforcement of labour court orders.
Javed’s case, according to labour organisers, also brings into sharp focus the accountability of large corporations operating in Pakistan and their obligations toward workers’ rights under both national and international frameworks.
