Electrocution of PPP leader’s son Call to remove Lesco officials

LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party Lahore leadership has demanded immediate removal of Lesco chief and dismissal of staff concerned for the electrocution of a 20-year-old youth Jaffer in the area of Green Town.

Jaffer, whose mother died in Model Town blast in 2008, was the adopted son of PPP leader from Lahore Dr Zarrar Yusuf. He sustained serious wounds after receiving a heavy shock from an electric poll. Jaffer was shifted to hospital but he died. The body was handed over to the family after autopsy and he was laid to rest on Thursday. PPP senior leaders, including Dr Zarrar Yusuf, Aslam Gill, Faisal Mir and others condemned the incident and demanded Federal Minister for Power Omar Ayub Khan take notice of the Lesco atrocities. They stated that before Jaffer, three other citizens had received shocks from the same pole about which complaint was lodged with the local SDO Green Town but nothing was done.

“The incompetence and mismanagement of Lesco chief is responsible for the death of Jaffer, son of Dr Zarrar Yusuf” the PPP Lahore leaders in a joint statement issued after the tragic incident. Dr Zarrar, commenting on the death of his son, alleged that ‘Lesco chief is the murderer of my son and is directly responsible for his death, he should be immediately taken to task.”

He said he took the painful step of going for autopsy of Jaffer just to get justice. The PPP leader appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of the incident and stated that he would leave no stone unturned to bring the Lesco chief to court of law. Faisal Mir, the PPP leader, warned that people of the area would stage a protest if the government tried to protect the Lesco chief. A large number of people, including PML-N MNAs Waheed Alam Khan, Ali Pervaiz Malik, PPP leaders Aslam Gill and others attended the funerals of Jaffer.

The PPP leaders, including former MPA Dr Zia Ullah Khan Bangash, Faisal Mir and others in another statement also slammed the Lesco authorities over the poor functioning of its Customers’ Complaint Cell.

The PPP leaders in a joint statement that citizens were sent excessive bills by the Lesco but nothing had been done to address their complaints just because the Customers Complaint Cell was literally non-existent and its staffers were only receiving salaries from the government. They came hard on Lesco for sending excessive bill to Tahira Habib Jalib, the daughter of revolutionary poet Habib Jalib.

Recently, the Lesco also came under fire over the issue of excessive billing to the daughter of renowned poet late Habib Jalib. Tahira Habib, who drives a cab to earn her bread and butter received an electricity bill of around Rs75,000.

Talking to The News, Tahira Habib said that after meeting local SDO, XEN, finally, she went to the headquarters, where PR official, Imran Afzal misbehaved with her and threw the bill in the presence of three male members in the office. She stated this attitude was highly disrespectful for her but after the issue was highlighted in media, notice was taken over it, though the issue was yet to be resolved.

“I am the daughter of Jalib, my complaint has been heard but what about thousands of other daughters who face similar situation, I appeal the government to take notice of this and provide relief, not grief to the people’ said Tahira.

The News contacted Lesco chief but he wasn’t available for comment. Imran Afzal, Manager Public Relations, while talking over the death of youth in Green Town said that all the required measures would be taken to avert such occurrences in future. He also stated that action against the staff concerned would also be initiated. Regarding the issue of Tahira Habib Jalib, she stated that her matter had been resolved and a new meter had been installed. He also said that in this entire episode, he dealt the matter purely in accordance with the law and misbehave with any customer was out of question.