District Officer (Environment) Tariq Zaman, cousin of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan, is learnt to be the main culprit in the Multan Road factory tragedy that killed 22 people and injured many.
Tariq Zaman, who is also working as the personal staff officer for Lahore DCO Ahad Cheema, is allegedly a close associate of factory owner Zaheer Shaikh and also helped him in restoring the factory even though it had been sealed.
Sources in the DCO office told Pakistan Today that Zaman also stonewalled the expected operation against the factory, located in the Hassan Town locality on Multan Road.
Recently, Commissioner Jawad Rafique Malik had directed Environment District Officer Tariq Zaman to identify the ‘illegal’ industries and their manufacturers and get criminal cases registered against them for creating environmental pollution. But Tariq had remained unmoved. In May, 2011, he headed a team and sealed 19 steel mills, situated in Northern Lahore on account of violating environment laws by using substandard fuel and rubber tyres as fuel. But he did not take an action against the factory that was also causing pollution in the area, CDGL senior official disclosed.
Being the head of environment section in CDGL, Tariq did not conduct a single survey during 10 years to identify illegal factories sprawling in different parts of the city, he added.
Sources said Tariq had been holding the post of DO (Education) for the last 10 years because of his strong political connections. Even the chief secretaries, DCOs, EDOs and other officers were reshuffled but nobody could dare remove Zaman which showed his deep penetration into the bureaucratic circles, sources added. Once, Zaman was also found involved in some extortion and bribery cases by former DCO Sajjad Ahmed Bhutta. However, some top officials intervened and saved him. He was the only officer who has remained DO (Environment) since the tenure of former City Nazim Mian Amir Mehmood to date. Besides, he held the charge of Mechinal Tandoor project, Arms license, anti-encroachment drive, civil defence and many others.
Officials in the DCO office said he was trying to get an illegal CNG filling station approved at property bearing Khasra No 55 / MIN measuring 3-4 kanal, 12 marla, moza Shapur Kanjran on Multan Road, Motorway interchange. “After getting NOCs by hook or crook, he struggled to get an official approval from CDGL and succeeded in forming a committee to sanction the CNG station,” the source said, adding “soon, the DCO chaired a commercialisation committee on December 5, 2008 and formed a committee comprising EDO (W&S), DO (SP) and Director Construction, WASA,” he explained.
However, his plan was dashed to ground after the committee objected that the construction of CNG station, which belonged to his father Javed Zaman, would cause disruption in traffic flow near Motorway and referred to a mandatory requirement per NHA letter No 5 (1) NHA / DD (P & R) 2007 / 1053. On query, DCO Ahed Cheema said that no one was above the law and responsible would have to be taken to task.
Meanwhile, the mystery could not be solved about the authority which sealed the factory last time. Mystery also shrouded the jurisdiction of factory as both Allama Iqbal Town and LDA disowned the area of the factory.
Allama Iqbal Town administration submitted a report to CMIT that the factory area fell into the domain of LDA and LDA had sealed the factory. Town administration report also said the factory was listed by High Rising Commissioner constituted by Supreme Court and the commissioner had also visited the site some years ago and had declared the last storey of the factory as illegal. However, LDA in its report said the case of building by-laws were pending in the court and LDA could not take an action on a subjudice issue. It said Multan Road fell into its area but Hassan Town belonged to Allama Iqbal Town and it further alleged that the TMO had sealed and unsealed the factory after taking bribery.
LDA Director Estate Management Nauman Khan told Pakistan Today that LDA had nothing to do with Hassan Town. The CMIT has received both the reports and would submit its final report on Wednesday. CMIT Chairman Najam Saeed told Pakistan Today that data was being collected from all authorities concerned and it was hoped that finding would be compiled till tomorrow. According to the report, Lahore Commissioner Jawad Rafiq left for Turkey tour despite the severity of the situation and DCO Ahad Cheema had been notified as the commissioner in the absence of Rafiq.
Meanwhile, Labour Party Pakistan held a demonstration in front of the factory few hours after the incident to demand the arrest of the owners, more effective relief work, a compensation of at least one million for those who had lost their lives, five hundred thousand for all the injured, lifting of ban on labour inspection and to provide all the necessary safety measures to the workers. Hundreds of workers gathered to raise voices against the Punjab and central government. Women Workers Help Line and National Trade Union Federation participated in the demonstration as well.
Corruption here, corruption there, corruption everywhere!
