Iqbal Masih

Iqbal Masih was born in Muridke, a small, rural village outside of Lahore in Pakistan. Shortly after Iqbal's birth, his father,
Saif Masih, left the family. Iqbal's mother, Inayat, worked as a housecleaner, but found it difficult to make enough money.

Iqbal was too young to understand his family's problems. He spent his time playing in the fields near his two-room house.
While his mom was away at work, his older sisters took care of him. His life changed drastically when he was just four years old.
He started to work as a carpet weaver because of the money his family borrowed from his employer,
and sent him there to work in exchange for their debt. It was a hard job and he worked six days a week,
at least 14 hours a day. He was like a slave. There were lots of children in the same room and the room was very hot,
because the windows were closed all the time. Like the other children there, Iqbal often received a lot of cruel punishments.

After working six years as a carpet weaver, Iqbal one day heard about a meeting of the Bonded Labor Liberation Front (BLLF),
which helped children like Iqbal. Iqbal wanted to be free. He talked to Eshan Ullah Khan, president of the BLLF,
and he helped him be free. After that, Iqbal worked to get other children free as well.

Iqbal was always brave and began speaking at BLLF meetings and then to international activists and journalists.
He spoke about his own experiences as a bonded-child laborer.
He always fought against cruel employers until he was killed probably by ‘carpet mafia’.