Oil-tanker fire tragedy to be completely probed: PM

AHMADPUR SHARQIA, June 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.