Chief justice takes suo motu notice of Bahria Enclave stage collapse incident

Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has taken notice of the stage collapse incident at a Bahria Town housing project in which more than 100 people were injured, a press release issued by the Supreme Court said Friday.

The recording of a TV show hosted by a private channel was underway at Bahria Enclave, a housing society of Bahria Town, in the Nilor area on April 28 when the stage on which a number of people were sitting collapsed.

“The notice was taken on media reports that two people were killed and dozens of others were injured after a stage collapsed,” the press release said.

“Instead of providing medical aid to the injured people, most of the management staff escaped from the site and turned off the lights that made it difficult to carry out rescue activities,” it added.

The press release said the people injured in the incident were reportedly “not provided proper medical treatment”.

Over 100 people had suffered fractures, wounds and bruises, a Dawn report had said. Some of the injured were stuck under the wreckage of the stage, the sources said, adding that all the wounded were shifted to hospital.

The apex court’s press release said the Islamabad administration allegedly seemed reluctant to take action in accordance with law after the incident and “remained silent spectator in the whole episode”.

Taking notice of the matter, the chief justice has ordered the chief commissioner and inspector general of police Islamabad to submit a report into the incident within 48 hours.

Source: Dawn