Govt’s negligence turned Incident of fire in Anarkali into tragedy: Ch Parvez Elahi

Lahore: Pakistan Muslim League (PML) President and former Prime Minister Senator Ch Shujat Hussain, senior central leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Ch Parvez Elahi and Moonis Elahi have expressed their heartfelt sorrow and grief over grave incident of fire in Al-Karim Market of Anarkali.

In a joint statement issued here this evening they expressed their sympathies with the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in the fire and effected shopkeepers and said that their sorrow was our sorrow and we share their grief.

They demanded that the govt should ensure the injured persons were provided the best possible treatment and steps should immediately be taken for payment of adequate compensation to the effected persons.

Ch Parvez Elahi said regarding questions being raised about this tragic incident that protection of life and property of the people was basic duty of any govt but outbreak of fire in a plaza in Anarkali turned into a tragedy due to negligence of the govt in which more than a dozen persons lost their lives. He said those who had expired due to suffocation could have been saved by timely relief operations but due to obsolete fire fighting machinery, equipment and chemicals so many precious lives were lost. He asked as to why the vehicles and equipments were not being updated by the Punjab Govt. He said even after tragic fire in LDA Plaza, the govt had come to its senses then so many families would not have been mourning loss of their near and dear ones.

Ch Parvez Elahi said further that we had established Rescue 1122 service for immediate protection of life and property of the people in any unforeseen incident and calamity and rescuing the effected people and the govt of the day was duty bound to keep it updated in all respects so that it could render 100 per cent performance like it was rendering during our tenure.