Rescuers allege lockers broken, items burnt

DO accused of exceeding authority as staff appeal to govt high-ups for intervention

RAWALPINDI:

Rescue 1122, the life-saving emergency service operating in Rawalpindi, has come under severe criticism following an alleged grave administrative violation, after lockers provided by the Punjab government for the convenience of rescue personnel were forcibly broken and the personal belongings stored inside were set on fire without prior notice or legal justification.

The District Officer of Rescue 1122, Sibghatullah, is accused of exceeding his authority by ordering the forcible breaking of the lockers and the destruction of items belonging to rescue workers. As a result, the personal belongings of more than 100 rescue officials were allegedly deliberately and severely damaged.

Several affected rescue personnel, who claim to have fallen victim to the alleged excesses of authority and fear repercussions from senior officers, spoke to The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity.

An affected official provided details of the incident, stating that the Punjab government had installed more than 60 lockers at the central Rescue Station, Chandni Chowk, to facilitate emergency responders.

The purpose of these lockers was to allow personnel responding swiftly to emergency calls to safely store their personal belongings, mobile phones, important documents, uniforms and rescue kits, ensuring their valuables remained secure during operations.

The official explained that each locker could be shared by two personnel and that nearly 100 or more rescue workers stored their personal and valuable items in these lockers, the keys to which remained in their possession.

However, two days ago, District Officer Sibghatullah allegedly issued verbal orders, without any prior intimation or written notice to the locker holders, for all lockers to be broken open and their contents thrown out.

Following these orders, Emergency Officer Hamza Ali reportedly instructed staff at the Chandni Chowk station to carry out the directive.

Rescue personnel later learned of the incident, triggering widespread concern and distress.

Responding to the allegations, a spokesperson for Rescue 1122 stated that lockers had been broken on previous occasions as well, and that this was not the first such incident. The spokesperson claimed that officers had received information suggesting that, beyond personal belongings, some lockers contained illegal items. He added that the difference this time was that the locker holders were not informed in advance.

Clarifying further, the spokesperson said that District Officer Sibghatullah had instructed staff to inform all locker holders in a timely manner so they could empty their lockers beforehand, but that the message was not conveyed to the force by the District Officer's office staff.