BAHAWALPUR, Jun 26 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad
Nawaz Sharif on Monday said it has been decided to hold an in- depth inquiry into the oil-tanker fire tragedy, which caused loss of precious human lives.
“We have to look into what was the condition of that truck (tanker)? We will not let this incident go ignored
[without reaching any conclusion],” he said while speaking to the affectees of tragic incident here.
The Prime Minister, while expressing his deep grief over the tragic incident, however, regretted the “inappropriate” attitude of some politicians on television.
“Yesterday, some people did politics on television. It is inappropriate. There should be no politics for politics on such tragic occasions, when we should console the injured and affected,” he remarked.
The Prime Minister agreed with the view of Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif that illiteracy and poverty lead to such accidents.
He said the government was doing all to improve economy, realize development, boost agriculture, check energy shortages and move the wheels of industry, so as to curb unemployment.
The Prime Minister said the moment he heard about the tragic tanker-fire incident, he directed the Chief Minister
Punjab to immediately reach Bahawalpur and supervise the rescue and relief efforts. Nawaz Sharif, who cut-short his visit to London and reached Bahawalpur this morning, said he visited the Victoria
Hospital and enquired after the health of those injured by the incident. The Prime Minister said he gave away the cheques of
Rs. one million each to the injured, adding, Rs. 2 million each were being given as compensation to the families of those who lost their lives.
“No amount can be the compensation of a life which is very precious, but can support the affected people,” he added. The Prime Minister on this occasion also told the people that during his visit to Victoria Hospital; he met an injured youth, who despite being critically injured, expressed his pleasure over meeting with him and asked for job.
Similarly another injured youth said he desired to meet him (Nawaz Sharif), the Prime Minister said and added, “This really touched my heart and I prayed for their health and life.”
The Prime Minister on this occasion said the government will provide jobs to such injured people, after they get recovered, and to people of affected families. Nawaz Sharif said he or Chief Minister Punjab had not done any favour by visiting the area and meeting the affected people, as it was their duty.
“This Eid has turned into a day of grief for us and the whole nation,” he said, adding they would continue to fulfil their responsibilities with full commitment.
He also prayed for the departed souls, courage for the affected famililies and early recovery of the injured.
Earlier, Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif while speaking on the occasion said the Prime Minister, who was scheduled to have his medical tests in London, cut short his visit and reached Bahawalpur to express solidarity with the people, as he loved his people.
He also gave a brief account of how he immediately reached Bahawalpur and supervised the rescue and relief efforts after the tragic oil-taker fire incident.
The Punjab Chief Minister said it was an unprecedented collective effort by all institutions including army, provincial government and the local administration.
He said a number of critically injured had been shifted to Multan, where the Punjab government had established a state
of the art burn center, while others were being shifted to burn centers in Lahore.
Shehbaz Sharif said Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory had started its work to identify the bodies with the DNA tests. However, due to hot weather, the bodies were being buried after proper tagging, he added.
APP/Was
