Committee to find out how ‘false reports’ about Bhati Gate tragedy reached media 

A high-level committee, headed by additional chief secretary, was formed on Saturday to find out how conflicting reports about the Bhati Gate tragedy in which a woman and her 10-month-old baby girl had died after falling into a manhole, reached the media as claimed by Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Sources told the 24News TV channel that the committee would question the officials of the police, Rescue 1122, civil defence, WASA, the district administration and TEPA.

They informed that the seniors of these departments had been asked to direct the officers, who had visited the site of the incident, to appear before the committee so that it could be ascertained how false information about the tragedy reached the media.

On the other hand, Murtaza, the husband of the woman, who had died by falling into a manhole along with her infant, claimed on Saturday that although he was satisfied by the steps ordered by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, still he had not received any call for the handover of the compensatory amount.

He also narrated to 24News TV channel the torture he suffered at the hands of policemen.

Murtaza told the TV channel that when Rescue 1122 was called to inform it about the incident, the department said the call was fake. “It was on the chief minister’s orders that the body of my daughter was found,” he said, adding that he had two children and he worked at a private mill.

Reporters: Waqas Ahmad and Wasim Aziz