CM gives financial aid to van victims’s families

Najam Sethi said that a crackdown has been started agLahore: Punjab Chief Minister Najam Sethi has said that the incident of fire in a school van in village Mangowal near Gujrat has saddened the whole nation and strict legal action will be taken against the persons responsible. He said that government will ensure that such tragic incidents do not occur in future. He said that solid measures are needed to prevent such tragedies.

He expressed these views while talking to people after condoling with the families of the children and the teacher who lost their lives in the tragic incident, in village Rajki Gujrat. Provincial Home Minister Tariq Pervaiz, Commissioner Gujranwala Division Tariq Najeeb, Additonal IG Police Punjab Malik Khuda Bakhsh Awan, District Coordination Officer Gujrat, DPO Gujrat and other senior officers were present on the occasion. The Chief Minister gave cheques for five lakh rupees each to the families of the deceased children while cheques of 75 thousand rupees were given to the injured children as financial assistance. The Chief Minister said that the school van incident has grieved everyone and occurrence of such incident is a point to ponder for government institutions. He said that the elements who are plying decrepit and rundown vehicles or compelling parents to send their children to school on such vehicles are equally guilty. He said that a through inquiry is being conducted into the incident and there is a need for solid measures at government level to check reoccurrence of such incidents.

He said that laws are formulated all over the world to ward off such tragedies. He said though there are such laws also in Pakistan but these are not implemented which is a proof of the failure of government institutions. He said that Punjab government will extend all out assistance to the affected families. Najam Sethi paid tributes to the brave teacher Samia who rescued the children trapped in the burning vehicle at the cost of her own life and announced that the local girls school will be upgraded and named after the martyred teacher. He said that Governor Punjab has already sent recommendations for a civil award to the teacher Samia.
ainst the vehicles using cans for fuel and five hundred such vehicles have been challanned in Lahore. He said that the public demand regarding provision of rescue services and posting of motorway police in the area will also be considered.

Earlier, Chief Minister Najam Sethi inquired after the injured children at CMH Kharian and was informed about the treatment facilities being extended to the under-treatment children. In response to the offer of the Chief Minister regarding payment of the expenditure on the treatment of the children by the Punjab government, the In-charge CMH Brig. Akbar Rabi said that treatment and look after of these children is a national responsibility and Pak Army will bear all the expenses. The Chief Minister paid tributes to officers and jawans of Pak army for their spirit of sacrifice and also appreciated the treatment facilities. He thanked administration of CMH Kharian for provision of quality treatment to the injured children.