With over 2,000 industrial units installed in the area, Multan Road is home to half of the city’s illegal commercial and industrial units, Pakistan Today has learnt. The remaining 2,000 units are also being run either with the connivance of City District Government Lahore authorities or under the auspice of politicians. These units include cottage industry, veterinary medicine factories, juices and other production units. The Orient Laboratories Private Limited was also one of these ‘illegal’ industrial units and it was being run under the auspice of some Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders.
The factory was owned by Sheikh Zaheer ud Din, a resident of Mustafa Town who is said to be a close friend of Khwaja Imran Nazeer, an important leader of party’s provincial chapter, who influenced the concerned officials to not to take an action against the owners or the factory. The building was originally designed as a house and was sealed three times but was still being operated illegally, sources told Pakistan Today. The factory was last sealed a couple of weeks ago and Town Municipal Administrations of Saman Abad and Allama Iqbal Towns and Lahore Development Authorities were due to raid the factory but the move was also cancelled.
Other than Khwaja Imran Nazir two other leaders Mian Marghoob Ahmad and Mian Istiaq were reportedly the major players who influenced the district government authorities to relax the rules for Orient Laboratories. The leaders were not available for comment.
CHILD LABOUR: Many children had been hired by the factory for meagre wages contrary to the labour laws but the related department had not bothered to take any action in this regard also.
Meanwhile, District Coordination Officer Lahore Ahad Khan Cheema said the incident would be thoroughly investigated. While talking to reporters at Kharak Stop, Multan Road, he said all concerned departments were engaged in the rescue operation and all hospitals were on high alert. He said the neighbouring buildings had also been evacuated.
He further said according to his information, 50 persons were inside the building at the time of collapse and special rescue workers with latest machinery were trying to recover the maximum number of people, adding that the factory had around 150 to 200 workers.
In the debris, there is a PML-N rat
