DO accused of overstepping authority as staff appeals to top government officials to intervene
RAWALPINDI:
Rescue 1122, the emergency rescue service operating in Rawalpindi, has come under severe criticism following an alleged serious administrative violation, after lockers provided by the Punjab government for the convenience of rescue personnel were forcibly broken and personal belongings stored in them were set on fire without prior notice or legal justification.
The head of rescue district 1122, Sibghatullah, is accused of having exceeded his authority by ordering the breaking of lockers and the destruction of objects belonging to rescue workers. As a result, the personal belongings of more than 100 rescue workers were allegedly deliberately and seriously damaged.
Several affected emergency workers, who say they were victims of the alleged excesses of authority and fear reprisals from senior officers, spoke to The Express PK Press Club on condition of anonymity.
A concerned official provided details of the incident, saying that the Punjab government had installed more than 60 lockers at the central aid post at Chandni Chowk, to facilitate the response of emergency responders.
The purpose of these lockers was to allow personnel responding quickly to emergency calls to safely store their personal belongings, mobile phones, important documents, uniforms and first aid kits, ensuring that their valuables remain safe during operations.
The manager explained that each locker could be shared by two people and that nearly a hundred or more first responders stored their personal and valuable items in these lockers, the keys to which remained in their possession.
However, two days ago, District Officer Sibghatullah allegedly gave a verbal order, without any prior indication or written notification to the locker holders, to open all the lockers and throw away their contents.
Following these orders, emergency officer Hamza Ali reportedly asked the staff at the Chandni Chowk station to carry out the directive.
Emergency responders later learned of the incident, triggering widespread concern and distress.
Responding to the allegations, a spokesperson for Rescue 1122 said lockers had also been broken on several occasions and this was not the first such incident. The spokesperson said officers had received information suggesting that beyond personal items, some lockers contained illegal items. He said the difference this time was that locker holders were not informed in advance.
Elaborating further, the spokesperson said that District Officer Sibghatullah had asked the staff to inform all locker holders in a timely manner so that they could empty their lockers in advance, but the message was not conveyed to the police by the staff of the District Officer’s office.
