Precautionary measures: LHC orders fire safety commission

LAHORE: Justice Mansoor Ali Shah of the Lahore High Court on Friday ordered the government to form a fire safety commission to minimise losses in fire incidents.  The members of the commission will be appointed during the next course of hearings. The judge issued this order on a petition filed by Shoaib Saleem. Through Advocate Syed Aslam Rizvi, the petitioner submitted that in September 2012, a fire at a shoe factory on the Bund Road left at least 25 labourers dead due to the negligence of the factory owners and the government machinery which did not ensure fire safety measures at the factory.  He said due to several incidents of fire, many people had died and the government had failed to ensure safety steps while allowing the construction of big buildings. The petitioner submitted that those responsible for the shoe factory fire be penalised and directions be issued to the authorities concerned to ensure that no such incident occurs again.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2013.