Qatar's most blatant violation of worker rights

Indian worker Haider Ali, 35, was shot in the face by his sponsor I.Y.A., a Qatari national, when he asked him for leave to visit his family in the state of Bihar in eastern India.

Haider Ali is recovering from gunshot injuries at Hamad General Hospital in Qatar’s capital Doha while the prime suspect, IYA, remains at large.

Ali was scheduled to fly to Delhi from Doha on the night of October 30. A day before his journey, he visited his local sponsor’s house and asked permission for leave. Initial reports say that the employer flew into a rage, pulled out a gun and shot Ali.

The family of the Indian worker, left blind in one eye after being shot by his employer in Doha, has sought monetary compensation from the Qatari government.

His younger brother Afsar said they learnt of the incident through a relative in Qatar. News of the incident has plunged Ali’s wife and six children into shock and despair. His 65-year-old father, Ammar, collapsed and had to be rushed to a hospital. Now back home, Ammar remains bedridden, refusing to speak or eat.

Afsar made an emotional video appeal from his ailing father’s bedside asking for compensation from the Qatar government and Ali’s employer. Ali has been rendered handicapped. He’s got five daughters and a son aged between 12 and three years. The situation is grave. I want the Indian government to help my brother’s family get suitable compensation from Qatar government,” he said.