Bondage in Pakistan

Bondage (بیگار) is widespread in rural areas of Pakistan. The feudal landlords and tribal leaders keep peasants (ہاری) in bondage and have also created private prisons. In many cases the bonded people are in debt bondage for many generations due to high interest charges.

In its most basic sense, the word bondage refers to the state or condition of being bound to an unfree labor system, as in slavery, indentured servitude, or serfdom. More generally, "bondage" may refer to any state of subjection to a force, influence, or power.

Debt bondage or bonded labor is a means of paying off loans with direct labor instead of currency or goods. It is either a kind of indenture or truck system, and is technically a form of unfree labor. Children of debtors have to work due to debt bondage, this is considered a worst form of child labor.