Sugar mill tragedy: Police add murder charges against factory management

Register case against protesters, magistrate sends accused GM on judicial remand.

DI KHAN: A case has been registered by the Parowa police against unidentified protesters who hurt a police official on Saturday while demonstrating outside Chashma Sugar Mill. They also changed the previous FIR registered against the mill’s management, appending murder sections to it. 

A Parowa police official told The Express Tribune a crowd had protested in front of the mill on Saturday by blocking roads and pelting stones at policemen, injuring one constable. The protesters also damaged the mill by destroying equipment and setting fire to various offices.

Over the past few days, ten people, including children, have died after coming in contact with the toxic waste allegedly discharged from the sugar mill. Organ samples of the deceased have been sent to Peshawar for a laboratory test.

Mill owner Abbas Sarfaraz, who is also the nephew of former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Mir Afzal, has been nominated in the FIR. Meanwhile, a judicial magistrate has sent the culprits, including the mill’s general manager, on a three-day judicial remand.

Expressing grief

Former deputy speaker of the National Assembly Faisal Karim Kundi and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Samiullah Alizai visited the affected families on Sunday. At the occasion, Alizai said, “I come here as a representative of the provincial government and will ensure an impartial enquiry on this unfortunate incident is carried out.”

Those found responsible will be punished as per the law, he added. The government has announced compensation for the deceased’s families, said Alizai. According to an official handout on Saturday, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak ordered Rs0.1 milion each be paid to the families of the dead and Rs50,000 for each of the injured.

Rejecting govt’s committee

Meanwhile, a local leader of Ramak village, Fakhar Miankhel, stated at news conference that district-level leaders of various political parties and members of the community have formed a 12-member committee to deal with the issue.

He said before the tragic incident occurred, they had informed relevant officials about the dumping of toxic material into a nearby drain but no measures were taken.

“We reject the enquiry committee set up by the government as well as the compensation package given by the commissioner,” said Miankhel. The 12-member committee held a meeting with the commissioner and asked him to give a special package to the victims’ families, including government jobs, he added.

Miankhel also warned authorities to ensure an end to the poisonous fumes and waste emanating from the mill within 72 hours, otherwise they would resort to a peaceful protest.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2014.