MULTAN: Power failure at Multan’s Ibne Qasim Bagh Stadium, which allegedly led to a deadly stampede at the end of a PTI rally, was a result of MEPCO’s ill-timed decision to remove a transformer installed in the area, an eyewitness told Express News on Sunday.
Seven PTI supporters were killed and dozens more sustained injuries in the stampede triggered by thousands of PTI workers scrambling to exit gates as power supply was disrupted.
Gatekeeper at a nearby park Muhammad Siddiq told Express News that MEPCO workers took away the transformer as soon as the speeches ended, disrupting power supply to the entire stadium.
Express News correspondent, who was present inside the stadium during the stampede, said power did go out for around seven minutes during which panicked attendees ran towards exit gates.
Responding to the eyewitness’ claim, MEPCO officials stated that the said transformer was only installed outside the stadium as back up and was not the main source of electricity to the building.
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I am a PTI supporter and immensely saddened by this episode. However, let's call a spade a spade and put blame where it really belongs.
First to blame is the crowd itself. Shame on us for being such an indisciplined lot. We as a nation have a collective illness to be in a "hurry to get nowhere." PTI crowd seems to be especially affected, as evidenced by the forklift incident before the 2013 elections, the stage incident in the Lahore jalsa a few weeks ago, and several others.
Second to blame are the PTI leadership and organizing committee. Rule of thumb: if one organizes such an event, one has to be responsible for flawless arrangements, execution, and contingency plans. Period. If PTI higher-ups are so willing to accept credit for gathering thousands of people, they should have at least the courtesy to accept responsibility and accountability for the incident. And oh, isn't "accountability" one of the foundation stones of their current agitation against the system? And what is leadership if it cannot inculcate discipline in its followers?
Kudos to Jinnah for his vision and foresight to include discipline as one of his three guiding principles for this nation.
PTI paid the pending Stadium Electricity bill about ninety thousand for what ?
Nawaz Sharif is a business tycoon. So is Jahangeer Tareen. Zardari is a Fuedal. So is Shah Mehmood Qureshi. All of them have swiss acconts but only Imran has the celebrities. Hence he cannot be blamed for anything? Is that the logic of Naya Pakistan?
If MEPCO officials were responsible for turning off the lights outside of the stadium then it is tantamount to homicide and those who were responsible must be tried for homicide. I think the truth will come out like who ordered them to turn off the lights out side the stadium when ever these guys are being prosecuted. I hope the fingers are not pointed toward Shahbaz Sharif because he is not above this sort dirty dealings.
If the govt does not provide electricity and makes PTI responsible for their own event then are they going to close doors and reserve for VIP and let poor workers crush each other. Has anybody ever heard of dynamic leadership? MQM has gatherings day after day and nobody is crushed to death. PTI"s leader falls and that was also conspiracy against IK.
not shocked, mass killing for political gains is not new for this government.
haha....@abdullah.....why would they resign?do they actually have an official influence over the committee??......when you close your eyes so much in the love of hatred,for the sake of slavery of Nawaz and Bilawal...then ofcourse you will never accept what the truth is......Go nawaz go.....we are waitin
Another lie. They actual tea softener wasn't moved at all. PTI trolls, stop trying to obfuscate the issue . FIR must be lodged against IK.
Imran Khan & Shah Mehmood should resign first to ensure a fair and independent inquiry. After all they rallied for the same principle against current Govt.
Why all of the gates were not open except of 2? Where were the ambulances and rescue teams except for few? If bills dues were clear why did MEPCO removed the transformers ? Why streets lights were gone of? This is negligence and bad governess of the of ruling party playing politics on the dead bodies.
@Junaid:
Have you read the affidavit or just parroting the non league mantra? Sow some sense of responsibility, darbari sahib.
Blame anyone and everyone but the PTI? Look I am a big supporter but this was a mess up and we need to take the blame and not be like Zardari-Bhutto and blame everyone else. Naya Pakistan does not need old blame game. first it was the police and intizamia that let us down. Now it is a MEPCO transformer removal. By the way who stole the chairs at the Dharna? That was us too. We are PTI and we are responsible. We need to improve.
Providing electricity to these miscreants is not the governments job. PTI covering up their negligence . We won't be satisfied until an FIR is registered against IK
@Junaid: PTI were responsible for lighting INSIDE of the stadium which you could see was very, very well-lit. It could not, and was not, be their responsibility to light outside of the stadium. The stampede started when people stumbled on the barriers in the dark outside of the exit gates.
PTi's generators were running. In which world is it possible to remove and put again a transformer in 7 minutes? Stop giving conspiracy theories as news or you will lose ur credibility forever.
Using MEPCO for political decisions and resulting in loss of 7 lives. Shame on PMLn. They are murderers.
Playing dirty is what PML-N does with relish.......it was PTI's that had to anticipate this and counter it. In the game of playing ' hard ball sitting and crying afterwards does not help.'
But as per affidavit submitted by PTI , PTI itself is responsible for electricity in whole stadium . And they had generators for that.