The tragic tragedy that took place in Bhati Chowk shook the provincial government, after which Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz took exceptionally strict measures and ordered the immediate arrest of six officers.
In an emergency meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, senior officers of various departments, including Commissioner Lahore, Deputy Commissioner, MD WASA and LDA, were summoned, where they expressed their strong anger over the performance of the officers. Maryam Nawaz said in clear words that “this is not an accident but akin to murder; no one will be forgiven.”
Rejecting the explanations given by the concerned officers, she said that not visiting the construction site on time and not making safety arrangements is criminal negligence. The Chief Minister directed the IG Police to immediately arrest the project in charge, safety in charge, project manager and other responsible persons.
It was also decided in the meeting that legal action will be taken by dismissing the project director, TEPA and the concerned officers of WASA, while the affected family will be given compensation of Rs 1 crore from the contractor.
The Chief Minister said that “if this same accident had happened in an influential area, the entire system would have been shaken; now the life of every citizen is equally important.”
According to governance and urban planning experts, this move could lay the foundation for a new culture of accountability in the provincial administration. “If those responsible are indeed punished, it will send a clear message to other departments that negligence will not be tolerated,” said an urban affairs analyst.
