Proceeding on a suo motu notice on deaths of dozens of people after a sealed drug manufacturing factory in Lahore collapsed due to cylinder blasts, the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday directed the Punjab government to shift factories from residential areas of Lahore to the city’s outskirts.
A three-member bench consisting of Justice Shakirullah Jan, Justice Jawad Khawaja and Justice Amir Muslim was hearing the matter. Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Khosa said that 2,161 factories were operating in residential areas in Lahore on which the court directed shifting the units out of the city. Nasir told the court that action against the responsible people had been started and the Punjab CM had constituted three teams to investigate into the incident and the committee would present its report within three weeks. The chief secretary said that the Punjab government had announced Rs 0.5 million compensation for heirs of each of the deceased and Rs 75,000 for the injured. He requested the court to grant four weeks for presenting the report in light of the committees’ investigation, which the court accepted and adjourned the hearing until March 22.
Justice Khawaja lamented that despite passage of two years since the 18th Amendment was passed, the Punjab government did not make any policy for establishment of drug factories. The government comes into action and starts preparing plans when 20 to 25 people die in an incident, he said. Khurram Latif Khosa wanted to become a party in the case but the bench observed that it was hearing a suo motu notice and if anyone wanted to become a party he should file a separate case.