Multan tragedy: PTI announces compensation for kin of victims
Imran claims the stampede was orchestrated like rigging in May 2013 elections
MULTAN/ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Sunday announced monetary compensation for the families of PTI supporters who were killed in a stampede following the party’s rally at Qasim Bagh in Multan. Seven people died and dozens of others sustained injuries in the tragedy.
While visiting the families of the victims, Imran Khan announced Rs800,000 for each family and a job in the UAE or Oman for a family member of each victim.
He said he was expecting that relatives of the victims would be very angry with the PTI leadership. “But I was surprised with their level of sacrifice and love for the PTI.”
The PTI chief claimed that the incident was a conspiracy in which the federal and provincial governments were involved and demanded a judicial inquiry to ascertain all facts.
On Saturday, Imran rejected the three-member committee formed by the Punjab government to probe into the Multan tragedy. The committee comprises Secretary for Environment Iqbal Muhammad Chauhan, DIG Ali Amir and Special Secretary for Interior Dr Shoaib Akbar. The committee was directed to present its report to the Punjab chief minister in the next two to three days.
“The gates to the stadium were closed and the keys were held by the police, while the electricity was disconnected on the orders of Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco). These facts simply point to the involvement of federal and provincial authorities,” he said, adding that it was a conspiracy planned like ‘rigging in the May 2013 elections’.
Earlier, talking to media persons in Islamabad, Imran said he would himself supervise arrangements of the party’s next rally in Sargodha. “I will supervise the arrangements of the next PTI rally on October 17 and will decide who will sit on the stage with me,” he said.
Later, addressing the sit-in at D-Chowk, Imran once again rejected the government’s claim and said it was unfortunate that the “government put the responsibility of the incident on the PTI.”
He said he was not expecting such a huge turnout at the Multan rally but his happiness was overshadowed by the deadly stampede.
He also lashed out at Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari and said Zardari had been supporting the PM due to sit-ins of the PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 13th, 2014.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Sunday announced monetary compensation for the families of PTI supporters who were killed in a stampede following the party’s rally at Qasim Bagh in Multan. Seven people died and dozens of others sustained injuries in the tragedy.
While visiting the families of the victims, Imran Khan announced Rs800,000 for each family and a job in the UAE or Oman for a family member of each victim.
He said he was expecting that relatives of the victims would be very angry with the PTI leadership. “But I was surprised with their level of sacrifice and love for the PTI.”
The PTI chief claimed that the incident was a conspiracy in which the federal and provincial governments were involved and demanded a judicial inquiry to ascertain all facts.
On Saturday, Imran rejected the three-member committee formed by the Punjab government to probe into the Multan tragedy. The committee comprises Secretary for Environment Iqbal Muhammad Chauhan, DIG Ali Amir and Special Secretary for Interior Dr Shoaib Akbar. The committee was directed to present its report to the Punjab chief minister in the next two to three days.
“The gates to the stadium were closed and the keys were held by the police, while the electricity was disconnected on the orders of Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco). These facts simply point to the involvement of federal and provincial authorities,” he said, adding that it was a conspiracy planned like ‘rigging in the May 2013 elections’.
Earlier, talking to media persons in Islamabad, Imran said he would himself supervise arrangements of the party’s next rally in Sargodha. “I will supervise the arrangements of the next PTI rally on October 17 and will decide who will sit on the stage with me,” he said.
Later, addressing the sit-in at D-Chowk, Imran once again rejected the government’s claim and said it was unfortunate that the “government put the responsibility of the incident on the PTI.”
He said he was not expecting such a huge turnout at the Multan rally but his happiness was overshadowed by the deadly stampede.
He also lashed out at Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari and said Zardari had been supporting the PM due to sit-ins of the PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 13th, 2014.