पाकिस्तान : कराची में मुफ्त राशन वितरण के दौरान हुई भगदड़ में कम से कम 12 लोगों की मौत, दर्जनों ज़ख़्मी : वीडियो Karachi stampede

बीते साल आयी बाढ़ से प्रभावित लोगों के बीच कराची में मुफ्त राशन वितरण के दौरान हुई भगदड़ में कम से कम 12 लोगों की मौत हो चुकी है जबकि दर्जनों ज़ख़्मी हुए हैं

पाकिस्तान में आर्थिक हालात पहले ही दयनीय थे कि अब लोगों को आटे के लिए अपनी जान तक गंवानी पड़ रही है।शुक्रवार को पाकिस्तान के बंदरगाह शहर कराची में एक रमजान खाद्य वितरण केंद्र में भगदड़ मचने से महिलाओं और बच्चों सहित कम से कम 11 लोगों की मौत हो गई। इतना ही नहीं कई अन्य लोग घायल भी हो गए।

जानकारी के मुताबिक केंद्र पर भगदड़ तब हुई जब कुछ लोगों ने अनजाने में बिजली के तार पर पैर रख दिया। जिससे यह हादसा हुआ। पुलिस ने घटना के बारे में बताते हुए कहा कि बिजली के तार पर पैर रखने के बाद हुई भगदड़ के दौरान लोगों ने एक-दूसरे को धक्का देना शुरू कर दिया, जिससे दो महिलाएं और दो बच्चे पास में बह रहे नाले में गिर गए। हादसे में कई लोग घायल भी हो गए।

गौरतलब है कि कराची में हुए इस ताजा हादसे के साथ, पाकिस्तान में मुफ्त भोजन केंद्रों में भगदड़ से मरने वालों की संख्या कम से कम 22 पहुंच गई है।

पाकिस्तान को एक बार फिर चीन ने 2 अरब डॉलर का ऋण दिया
लगभग दिवालिया होने की कगार पर पहुंच चुके पाकिस्तान को एक बार फिर चीन ने सहारा दिया है। पाकिस्तानी वित्त मंत्री इशाक डार ने शुक्रवार को कहा कि चीन ने पिछले सप्ताह मैच्योर हुए 2 अरब डॉलर का ऋण दिया था, जिससे पाकिस्तान को भुगतान संकट में तत्काल राहत मिलती दिख रही है। इशाक डार ने संसद में बताया कि सभी संबंधित दस्तावेज पूरे कर लिए गए हैं। इसके बाद बीते 23 मार्च को इस लोन राशि को जारी कर दिया गया है। हालांकि अभी तक न तो बीजिंग सरकार और न ही चीन के केंद्रीय बैंक ने इस मसले पर टिप्पणी की है। हालांकि, इशाक डार ने नई मैच्योर डेट या व्यवस्था की अन्य शर्तों के बारे में नहीं बताया है। इससे पहले पाकिस्तान ने चीन से 2 बिलियन कर्ज के रोलओवर का आग्रह किया था जो बीते हफ्ते ही मैच्योर हुआ है। पाकिस्तान के लिए ये राहत की बात इसलिए भी कही जा रही है क्योंकि इससे उसे अंतरराष्ट्रीय मुद्राकोष (आईएमएफ) के साथ स्टाफ लेवल एग्रीमेंट को अंजाम तक पहुंचाने में मदद मिलेगी। इसके बाद ही ऐसी पाकिस्तान को उम्मीद है कि बेलआउट पैकेज की पहली किस्त के रूप में उसे 1.2 अरब डॉलर का लोन मिल जाएगा।

At least 12 dead in stampede at Karachi’s SITE area during Zakat distribution

At least 12 people died in a stampede during distribution of Zakat among the families of employees working at a private company in Karachi’s Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate (SITE) area on Friday.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Keamari police initially said that 11 people had died while five others had been injured. The spokesperson said the injured had been shifted to the hospital while further investigation was under way, adding that most of the victims were women between 40 to 50 years of age.

Later, South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Irfan Ali Baloch said that another woman had died, taking the death toll to 12.

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn.com that three children were among the dead.

‘Around 400 women’
Keamari Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Fida Husain Janwari said that the FK Dyeing company, located in SITE area, had invited the families of its employees in order to distribute Zakat among them.

He said that “around 400 women” had arrived and fearing a large crowd, the company staff closed the doors. He said that inside the premises there were no arrangements in place for making a queue, adding that local police were also not informed about the activity.

SSP Janwari said that several women fainted from the heat and the stampede. He said police contingents rushed to the spot, detained some of the employees on charges of negligence and shifted the women to different hospitals. “Reportedly, the company’s owner was not present,” he said.

South DIG Baloch said the company used to distribute Zakat and other items among the poor in Ramazan. He said that today was the third day the company was distributing alms, adding that between 400 to 500 people turned up.

He said that the factory owner, identified as Zulfiqar, would be arrested soon.

Keamari Deputy Commissioner Mukhtiar Abro said that the owner of the factory had not obtained a no-objection certificate from the district administration and had also not asked for security.

He said that seven employees had been arrested and a case would be registered against them. He said that the owner would also be held accountable.

Sindh CM takes notice
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and sought a report from Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Memon.

“The administration should be informed about any distribution of ration and welfare work,” the chief minister said and expressed grief over the lives lost in the incident. He directed officials to move the injured to the hospital.

Later, Shah announced that the provincial government would give the families of the dead Rs500,000 as compensation while the injured would get Rs100,000.

Sindh information and transport minister Sharjeel Inam Memon termed the incident “tragic”. Talking to a private TV channel, he said that the factory management did not inform the police and the district administration about the event.

The minister appealed to philanthropists and non-government organisations to inform the district administration and the police when undertaking such activities.

Memon said that the Sindh government had decided to transfer funds to the needy through the Benazir Income Support Programme to avoid such incidents.

PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said the incident was a “practical example” of the country’s economic condition and criticised the provincial government for its alleged indifference.

Ch Fawad Hussain
@fawadchaudhry
کراچی میں راشن کی تقسیم گیارہ جانیں کے گئ، آٹے کی قطاروں میں آٹھ افراد جاں بحق ہو چکے ہیں، یہ ہماری معیشت کے حالات کا عملی نمونہ ہے، افسوس اس بات کا ہے کہ مسند اقتدار پر بیٹھے لوگ صرف اپنی کرسی کی فکر میں لوگوں ظلم و بر ریت کے علاوہ کسی معاملے میں سنجیدہ نہیں

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) released a statement saying it was “deeply concerned by the mismanagement causing stampedes at wheat flour distribution centres set up by the government”.

The commission termed the incident in Karachi to be “particularly alarming”. “This situation is adding insult to injury for the marginalised people of Pakistan who are braving the economic injustice perpetuated by the elites who dominate the state,” HRCP said, calling on the government improve the distribution system.

Thousands of people have gathered at flour distribution centres set up across the country, some as part of a government-backed programme to ease the impact of inflation, which is running above 30 per cent, a 50-year high.

At least five other people have been killed and several injured in recent weeks at sites in other provinces in Pakistan. Thousands of bags of flour have also been looted from trucks and distribution points, according to official records.

The stampedes underscore people’s desperation in the face of soaring costs, exacerbated by Pakistan’s falling currency and a removal of subsidies agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to unlock the latest tranche of its financial support packages.

The costs of basic goods have surged, with flour prices rising more than 45pc in the past year.

Additional input from Reuters

Zaid Ahmd 
@realzaidzayn

BREAKING 🇵🇰 : At least 11 people killed following stampede during food ration distribution in Sindh Industrial Trading Estate area of Karachi, #Pakistan

ANI Digital
@ani_digital
Pakistan: 11 killed in stampede during Zakat, ration distribution at Karachi factory

Dr Arslan Khalid
@arslankhalid_m
خدارا بند کریں انسانیت کی تذلیل کرنا۔ یہ سب طریقے سے بغیر کسی بھگدڑ بھی ہو سکتا ہے کام۔ نہیں ہو رہا تو ڈاکٹر ثانیہ کو بلا لیں وہ کردیں گی

Times of Karachi
@TOKCityOfLights
Zakat, ration distribution stampede at Karachi’s SITE area factory took life of 11 including children. “The deceased were beaten by steel pipe, as informed by their relatives”, said Faisal Edhi in an exclusive talk with the Times of Karachi

Startup Pakistan
@PakStartup
At least 11 people, including women and children, were killed and several others injured following a “stampede” at a free ration distribution point in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi, local media reported.