After the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar took suo motu action of a deadly incident that took place on April 28, 2017 during the recording of ARY Zindagi show ‘Eidi Sab Kay Liye’ where a lady lost her life and dozens of participants were injured after its stage caved in, the police and district administration have submitted their reports to the SC.
On May 12, CJP Mian Saqib Nisar took suo motu notice of the incident and asked Islamabad Police and district administration to submit its report within 48 hours. The police and district administration on Monday submitted their reports to the Supreme Court where former puts the number of injured at 134, while city administration said that 92 were injured during the incident.
The district administration in its report has written that the safety and security of the event, first aid and availability of ambulances was responsibility of programme organisers.
The police report read that a lady Sameena Adnan died in the incident and her husband refused her post mortem or legal action. It further said that the report of the incident was registered in daily diary and officers at Nilour PS were informed about the incident and eventually on May 12, 2017 an FIR was registered against Malik Riaz of Bahria Town and ARY Zindagi CEO Salman Iqbal.
According to the police report, no application was given to the police immediately after the incident and so far no evidence has been given to them either. A total of 51 individuals who were injured in the incident have termed the incident ‘accident’, as per the police report submitted to the Supreme Court. It also said that further investigation was required to assess whether the lights were turned off after the incident.
The report contained copy of registered FIR, copy of daily diary, list of injured persons, statements of eyewitnesses, statement of stage manager, death certificate of Sameena Adnan, statement of show producer, statements of employees of ARY TV and Bahria Town, statements of injured persons and other documents.
The affected families of individuals who were injured during the incident have also submitted an application to Supreme Court Human Rights Cell and requested that it be read with reports of district administration and police.
The letter, copy available with Pakistan Today, aims to bring forth certain facts on record to be considered by the court. It alleges that the event not just only took place in Bahria Enclave but was also sponsored by Bahria Town and put the number of attendees at 3500 people including many infants.
‘Instead of providing rescue and relief, the management immediately turned off the lights of the venue making it difficult for us not only to rescue ourselves but also our relatives were trapped inside the wreckage. We firmly believe that many of our injuries were worsened due to this deliberate act by the management,’ it alleged adding that the announcements were made on loudspeakers that the fall was an act of God or due to earthquake.
The letter estimated the total number of injured around 175. Among citing other facts, the affectees regretted the role played by electronic media, indifference of hospital authorities and alleged that police put pressure on them to reach a compromise with the accused.
