DERA GHAZI KHAN:
A man who came to a property registration branch passed away due to suffocation caused by poor ventilation.
The branch also lacked basic facilities, including drinking water and shade. The deceased’s family protested and demanded action.
The deputy commissioner took notice of the incident and sought a report from the additional DC (Revenue). According to the preliminary report, the cause of death was determined to be a heart attack.
Dera Ghazi Khan registration branch handles property transfers worth millions of rupees daily, generating immense revenue for the government.
However, the public office lacks basic facilities such as drinking water and shade despite the large number of people visiting the branch daily.
According to sources, Lal Jan, a resident of Shah Jamal, came to the registration branch to get his property registered.
His brother informed the registrar that Lal Jan was a heart patient and requested him to expedite the process due to the overwhelming crowd and heat.
The registrar needed to take Lal Jan’s statement, which was a formality, as the rest of the process had been completed.
However, Lal Jan allegedly succumbed to suffocation due to the crowded and poorly ventilated environment.
Upon receiving news of the incident, Deputy Commissioner Usman Khalid sought a report from Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Usman Bukhari.
Registrar Jam Aslam said that the crowd of applicants in the branch is a normal occurrence and the death was caused by a heart attack.
He added that investigations are being conducted, and if any negligence is found on the part of the branch staff, action will be taken.
However, dozens of applicants present at the scene said around 100 registrations occur daily in the office and they pay millions of rupees in registration fees.
Despite this, there is no arrangement for drinking water or shade. The applicants alleged that this situation persists due to the collusion of the district administration.
The applicants pointed out that despite a heatwave warning issued by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the district administration has not made arrangements to protect people from the heat, nor have they provided shade or proper ventilation for applicants.
They questioned how the administration expects to implement measures at public places when it fails to do so in its own offices.
