A long wait: ‘My mother will die...’

“She is still trapped there. The rescue is proceeding at a snail’s pace,” says son.

LAHORE:

As rescue operation continued well into the second day, families of missing workers waited in agony. They blame the owner of the factory, as well as the government for the loss of lives. Javed Ejaz, a 15-year-old, wanted news on his mother Shazia, 35.

“She is still trapped there. The rescue is proceeding at a snail’s pace,” he said. “My mother will die from starvation.” Javed said that his family had shifted from Sheikhupura to Lahore a month ago hoping to make a decent living.

Muhammad Shafiq, a resident of Hassan Town, whose wife is also believed to be under the debris said that the police were making it worse for the victims’ families. “They are okay with people loitering around at the site but they have a problem with the families standing in the street,” Shafiq said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2012.