CM Maryam orders arrests after Lahore manhole deaths expose administrative failure

LAHORE: The heartbreaking incident of a mother and daughter falling into a manhole near Data Darbar in Lahore has left everyone in mourning, but the important thing is that the Punjab Information Minister, Uzma Bukhari, was given a false report, on which she told the media after taking a briefing from the concerned Punjab administration that there is no truth in this news.

Even the administration has issued a formal denial in this regard, but on the other hand, the search for the mother and daughter continued, and the body of the mother and the daughter was recovered yesterday and today.

It is important to note that the concerned Punjab administration also kept enjoying the dream of a rabbit. The CCTV footage is 7:07 minutes, despite this, the administration kept denying and misled the Punjab government.

In view of all these circumstances and incidents, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz held a regular press conference.

She clarified in the meeting that the Assistant Commissioner did not even visit the site. All the relevant authorities are responsible, including the DG LDA and MD WASA.

Maryam Nawaz ordered their immediate arrest and dismissal from service. Maryam Nawaz made it clear in two words that this negligence is unacceptable in a city like Lahore.

During the briefing, she was also told that the manhole was very high and the water flow was fast. Rescue officials recovered the body of the mother yesterday and the body of the girl today due to darkness.

After this tragic incident, the police registered a case and arrested Project Manager Asghar Sindhu, Safety In-charge Ahmed Nawaz, and registered a case under Section 322.

Maryam Nawaz called the incident a highly criminal and negligent incident, and also expressed concern that immediately after the accident, the family was taken to the police station instead of being helped, and an attempt was made to hide the accident.

It should be noted that the case has been registered on the complaint of the victim’s father. The father’s statement in the FIR is that his son was told over the phone that your sister and my daughter had fallen into the manhole.

The Punjab administration had declared the incident of the mother and daughter falling into the manhole as baseless. Rescue sources also said that the manhole has been identified and there is no possibility of any person drowning in it. MD WASA also rejected the claim that the current person drowned in the manhole.

According to him, there was one foot of water in the manhole. No one can drown or flow in such a low flow. However, after the bodies of the mother and daughter were recovered, Maryam Nawaz took strict action against the administration and not only ordered their arrest but also dismissed them from their jobs.

Regarding Uzma Bukhari, she said that the administration had wrongly briefed the Information Minister. She did not do what she was told. The administration is responsible for this entire tragedy.