ISLAMABAD, April 6: Former prime minister and Chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Benazir Bhutto has expressed her grief over the death of six persons and injuries to two dozens people when an under-construction multi-storey commercial building collapsed in Rawalpindi on Friday.

In a message received here on Sunday, Benazir Bhutto said she was deeply grieved over the tragedy. “My heart goes out to those killed and their near and dear ones and also to those who have been injured in the incident.”

The former premier asked the government to pay adequate compensation to those who were either killed or received injuries in the building collapse.

She also prayed to Allah Almighty to rest those killed in the incident in eternal peace and grant speedy recovery to those injured.

OUR STAFF REPORTER FROM RAWALPINDI ADDS: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has called for launching an impartial inquiry into the building collapse incident in Commercial Market on Friday, which left several people dead.

Talking to Dawn, MMA spokesman Malik Mohammad Azam said the tragedy occurred because of the negligence of the civic agency and the Tehsil Municipal Administration officials. Whenever such incidents occur, the departments as well as the people involved in it use various ways to shrug off responsibility, he said. This can happen only when the rulers show some honesty and take the persons responsible to task, he said.

Mr Azam also expressed concern over the slow-paced relief and rescue operations. A number of bodies like the TMA, the district administration, Civil Defence, FWO and the army were engaged in the rescue work, but could not evacuate the entrapped persons in two days, he said.