SIALKOT: Two days of mourning in Sialkot - Blast victims' funeral today
SIALKOT, Oct 1: Local business community on Friday announced two-day mourning after a bomb blast left over two dozen people dead.
Secretary-general of Markazi Anjuman Tajraan Ehsanul Haq Butt said that all markets would remain closed on Saturday and Sunday to mourn the killings. The district government also announced one-day mourning.
POOR CARE: The Allama Iqbal DHQ Hospital is 'highly' ill equipped to meet emergencies. People who drove the injured to the hospital alleged that emergency treatment was very poor mainly because of lack of equipment and medicines. Meanwhile, a large number of volunteers thronged local hospitals for donating blood.
COMPENSATION: The Punjab government has announced Rs100,000 for the family of each deceased and Rs50000 for each injured. Punjab Minister for Industries Muhammad Ajmal Cheema told newsmen that the punjab government would conduct a judicial inquiry into the blast. Meanwhile, funeral prayers of all the dead would be held at the Police Lines on Saturday (today) afternoon.
MEETING: IGP Saadatullah Khan, Minister for Health Tahir Ali Javed, Minister for Industries Muhammad Ajmal Cheema, Minister for Power Ch Armughan Subhani and Sialkot District Nazim Mian Naeem Javaid reviewed the law and order situation in the city at a meeting at the DPO office on Friday night.
Gujranwala Range DIG Altaf Qamar and DPO Nisar Ahmad Saroya were also present. Earlier, they visited the site of the blast and the DHQ and Sardar Begum hospitals and promised free medical treatment for the injured.
CONDEMNED: MNA Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan has termed the bomb blast a failure of security agencies. Talking to newsmen at the DHQ Hospital, she said the act might be the reaction of Amjad Farooqi's killing.