An inquiry committee has been constituted on the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif to probe the matter involving delayed response from Rescue 1122 workers on the call from a citizen whose house situated on Lahore’s MM Alam Road caught fire some days ago, Pakistan Today has learnt.
According to sources, Punjab Emergency Service’s control room on April 15 received a call from a citizen after which a rescue team rushed to her house on MM Alam Road, took satisfactory measures, put out the fire and rushed back.
The control room, the sources further said, again received a call where the caller who introduced herself as Rabia blamed the rescuers for delay in response and threatened them of dire consequences saying she was friends with CM Sharif’s wife Tehmina Durrani.
Later, District Rescue Emergency Officer (DREO) Dr Ahmad Raza received orders from the Chief Minister’s Office for taking stern action against the rescue team which was dispatched to the lady’s house to extinguish the fire. Consequently, eight rescuers were put under suspension on April 16 without being given a chance to clarify their position.
These workers included shift in-charges M Asghar and Sajjad Ali, operator Khalid and rescuers Zulfiqar, Fazal, Salman, Zaheer and Nasir Mehmood.
Later on April 18, a notification was released by the CM’s Secretariat for constitution of an inquiry body to probe the issue. This four-member committee included Master for Communication and Works as chairman, and drew the DCO Lahore as its secretary. The committee was ordered to submit its findings within three days.
When contacted DCO Lahore Captain (r) Usman said the probe body was still probing the matter.
Pakistan Today tried to reach the DREO and Rescue 1122 spokesperson over telephone but they did not respond.