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Maneesh Bakshi
Doha
CHAIRMAN of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) HE Dr Ali bin Smaikh al Marri has briefed the ambassadors of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Charge d'Affaires of Pakistan on the extreme suffering of their nationals who are currently stranded in Saudi Arabia owing to the blockade imposed against Qatar.
During the meeting on Wednesday, Dr Marri explained the inhumane conditions these labourers who had been working for Qatari employers in Saudi Arabia are being subjected to. He requested the envoys to help the workers by raising the issue with Saudi Arabia and"stop innocent expatriate workers becoming a pawn in the political crisis".
Dr Marri explained to the envoys about the difficulties faced by the workers such as the deliberate separation from their Qatari sponsors. This left the workers stranded in the country without money to meet their basic needs.
According to the NHRC chief, the workers from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal have been left out without any accommodation and money and are not allowed to travel to Qatar. They are now living 'illegally' in Saudi Arabia without having access to the basic needs for survival.
The envoys assured Dr Marri that they will take up the matter with their embassies in Saudi Arabia to help the workers. The diplomats also thanked the NHRC for their efforts, since the beginning of the crisis, to bring justice to the workers.
UN delegation to visit Qatar
Dr Marri said that a delegation from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights comprising legal experts will visit Doha on July 23 to assess the ground reality and the losses suffered by people due to the blockade. The delegation will report their findings to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
NHRC has been coordinating with the Ministry of Justice with respect to the functioning of the Compensation Claims Committee which is working under the Attorney General to facilitate compensation claims of those who have suffered losses due to the blockade. The Committee would refer these claims to appropriate judicial bodies, Dr Marri added.
