Badami Bagh incident is a attempt to tarnish the image of Pakistan:Shahbaz Sharif

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that the tragic incident at Badami Bagh is a nefarious attempt to tarnish the image of Pakistan and there was no justification for this inhuman act. He said that Punjab government will bring the elements responsible for the incident before the law and due punishment will be ensured as they deserve no leniency.

He said that Punjab government has sent a letter to Registrar Lahore High Court for judicial inquiry into the incident. The Chief Minister directed police to accelerate the process of apprehending the persons responsible by identifying them in the light of video footage and the miscreants should be apprehended within 24 hours. He said that challans against those who have been arrested should immediately be sent to the Anti-Terrorist Court.

He was presiding over a high-level meeting at Model Town today to review the situation in the wake of Badami Bagh incident and the progress of relief and rehabilitation activities for the affectees. Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Provincial Ministers Rana Sanaullah Khan, Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Members Assembly Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, Pervaiz Malik, Malik Riaz, Asad Ashraf, Ch. Shahbaz, Rana Muhammad Iqbal, Chief Secretary, Secretaries of Home, Law and Prosecution, Inspector General Police Punjab, Commissioner Lahore Division, CCPO Lahore, DIG Investigation and officers concerned were present. Addressing the meeting, Shahbaz Sharif said that government will fulfill all its responsibilities with regard to the tragic incident at Badami Bagh and no effort will be spared to bring the guilty persons to justice.

He said that the process of provision of financial assistance to the affected families has been started while the repair work of the houses and shops of the victims is also being initiated. He directed the authorities concerned to assess the losses to the properties as soon as possible and a case-to-case review should be made. He said that the government is making all out effort for compensating the damage to the houses of Christian community. He said that Punjab government has announced financial assistance to the victims and the process of payment has also been started, while immediate payment of compensation for houses will be ensured after assessment of losses. The Chief Minister said that relief camp has been set up in the affected area which is working round the clock and food items and other necessary facilities have been provided at the relief camp so that the victims should not face any difficulty. The Chief Minister directed that services of doctors and first aid should also be ensured at the relief camp for the affected Christian brethren. He said that the affected families have started returning to their homes and provincial ministers, assembly members and officers of district administrations are supervising the process of their rehabilitation. The Chief Minister directed provincial ministers, elected representatives and administrative officers to remain present at the relief camp round the clock and the problems of the affectees should be resolved immediately.

The Chief Minister further directed that the process of repair of houses of the affectees should be completed on emergent basis. The meeting was informed that 131 accused have been arrested so far while raids are being conducted for apprehending the others. A case has been registered while 20 police officers and officials have been injured in the incident. The meeting was further informed that a total of 176 houses and shops have been damaged while repair work has been started and will be completed at the earliest.