LHC moved to constitute JIT for probe into Bahawalpur inferno

BAHAWALPUR: As the death toll from Ahmed Pur Sharqia oil tanker blaze rose to 188 on Friday morning, a constitutional petition seeking formation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the incident was filed in the Lahore High Court, ARY News reported.

The tragedy that occurred in the early hours of June 25 when an oil tanker overturned on the national highway outside a village near Ahmed Pur Sharqia had claimed 180 lives.

According to hospital sources, six more injured of the incident succumbed to their injuries, increasing the death toll to 188. They added several other injured were also in critical condition. However, Muskan, a nine-year child, was discharged from the hospital after having recovered from her injuries.

Meanwhile, a petition has been filed in the LHC seeking its directives for authorities to appoint a JIT to investigate the despicable incident. Citing home minister and others as respondents, it was submitted in the petition that a JIT  should be constituted to carry out a thorough investigation to fix responsibility of the inferno incident that led to loss of lives.

The court was pleaded that the victim families of the incident should be given a compensation of Rs10 million each and those injured Rs two million each.

Earlier, an inquiry carried out into the incident on the directives of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held  motorway police responsible for the incident.