Gandapur showers rose petals on released Rescue 1122 employees

PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Friday showered with rose petals the 42 officials of Rescue 1122, who had been arrested from D-Chowk, Islamabad, during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest.

Gandapur had invited the released officials of Rescue 1122 to the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar where he announced their promotion. The released officials of Rescue 1122 included firefighters, drivers, medical technicians and other staff members.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and his brother MPA Faisal Amin Gandapur received the Rescue 1122 officials and showered rose petals on them. A video of the reception was also made.

Talking to Geo News, Rescue 1122 Director General Mohammad Ayaz Khan said that the chief minister had announced one-step promotion of the released officials. He said the chief minister also announced one month bonus salary for them. The DG Rescue said that he was grateful to the chief minister for boosting the morale of Rescue 1122 officials. He said the chief minister also promised to increase the allowances of Rescue 1122 officials. He said the chief minister also assured them to increase the retirement age of Rescue officials from 50 to 60 years. He added that six Rescue officials were still detained.

Meanwhile, speaking on a point of public importance, ruling PMLN lawmaker Talal Chaudhry raised the matter in the NA and said the trend set by the KP chief minister, inviting the provincial government employees to CM House, garlanding them and announcing their promotion to the next grade for their participation in the protest, could be replicated tomorrow by other provinces.

He pointed out that a few days back, a chief minister ‘marched’ on the federal capital and arrests were made, which included several employees of provincial government departments. He said a day earlier they were granted bail and today, KP CM invited them to the Chief Minister House.

“The CM not only garlanded them but also announced their promotion and one-week holiday. You are setting a precedent and tomorrow, any other provincial CM along with official resources can attack the Federation,” Senator Talal said amid chants of shame, shame by some treasury members.

He taunted Gandapur by saying that he had shown bravery by leaving behind his shoes, official and private vehicles and got arrested the sisters of Imran Khan. He also wondered if the KP chief secretary, being the Centre’s representative, would okay these kind of promotions and other things and this would ‘encourage’ any other province to do so tomorrow.

Senator Talal also talked about the assault on ex-CJP Qazi Faez Isa in London and regretted that by resorting to such action, Pakistan was made a laughingstock in the world. “The House must condemn those who support such training and behaviour and our political parties should at least name and shame those who hurled abuses at the former chief justice and attacked him,” he asserted.