Kahna Tragedy Caused by Government Negligence, Victims Must Get Justice: JI Emir

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Kahna Tragedy Caused by Government Negligence, Victims Must Get Justice: JI Emir

LAHORE: July 3— Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has said the government negligence and administrative failure were the reasons behind the deadly Kahna tuition centre tragedy, demanding a transparent investigation, strict punishment for those responsible, and concrete measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Speaking to the media after visiting the site of the tragedy in Kahna, Lahore, he said the incident was not only a tragedy for the affected families but for the entire nation. He rejected attempts to shift responsibility onto local residents or the victims' families, insisting that an impartial accountability process should determine those responsible for the disaster.
Earlier, the JI chief met the bereaved families, expressed heartfelt condolences, and offered prayers for the departed children and the speedy recovery of the injured. JI Lahore Emir Ziauddin Ansari Advocate and other party leaders accompanied him during the visit.
Rehman urged the government to immediately order a transparent inquiry, identify those responsible and ensure they receive strict legal punishment. He also called for effective reforms to prevent such tragedies from recurring.
He said hundreds of buildings and educational institutions in Lahore were in a dilapidated condition, yet instead of repairing and upgrading them, the government was outsourcing them, raising serious questions about its priorities.
Referring to Kahna as part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's constituency, Rehman said hundreds of settlements in the area continued to lack basic civic facilities despite repeated promises. He stressed that the protection of children's lives was the state's foremost responsibility and called for immediate development work in the locality.
The JI chief also criticised the government's emergency response, saying local residents had transported the injured children to hospitals on their own, exposing the failure of the official emergency response system.
He said that poverty in Punjab had increased by 41 percent while people remained deprived of basic services. He also criticised Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, saying that although she visited after the tragedy, she did not meet the grieving families. He added that the area did not even have a single government school, which reflected poorly on the government's performance.
Reaffirming Jamaat-e-Islami's support for the victims, Rehman pledged that the party would continue to raise its voice on every platform until the affected families received justice.