Multan road boiler blast: Progress report due February 28

Petitioner claims PDMA has failed in absence of a DG.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday sought a progress report from the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) by February 28 on a petition seeking registration of murder cases against those responsible for a blast in a medicine factory on Multan Road and establishment of a drug regulatory authority.

An additional advocate general said the investigation had been handed to the CIA.

The petitioner argued that the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) had failed in its purpose.

He said the chief minister had inaugurated the authority but it had had no role in rescuing the Multan Road factory blast victims due to the absence of a director general.

The lawyer pointed out that the government had no mechanism to check the functioning of factories in residential areas. He added that there was no system to check the violation of labour and building laws.

The petitioner prayed that the government be directed to produce a complete list of factories in the province for manufacturing of drugs through record of licences granted and also a list of factories which were illegally manufacturing drugs. He further prayed that the government be directed to appoint a director general for the PDMA. The petitioner also asked the court to order registration of a criminal case against the concerned personnel in government departments and as well the factory owners.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18^th, 2012.