CHUNIAN - The family of internationally renowned Naat Khawan Safeer-e-Mustafa Hamdami who among four others died in an allegedly planned fire incident took place at a TV studio during live Sehri Transmittion on July 30, demanded immediate arrest of the perpetrator(s) and a strict action against them.
The other deceased included Kamran, Kabeer, Saifur Rehman and Salman. However, Gulzaman Khan, Naseer Ahmad Khan, brothers of Safeer-e-Mustafa were injured along with the host of the program, Asim Ubaid Soharwardi, Director Rasheed Dogar, Salman Qandhari, Qaiser, Basheer, Haroon and Abdul.
At Mayo Hospital Lahore, Asim Ubaid Soharwardi and Resheed Dogar succumbed to their burn injuries. Talking to TheNation, Gul Zaman said a private TV Channel namely Kohinoor TV engaged the Naat Khawans’ group led by Safeer-e-Mustafa for live Sehri Transmission. On July 30 at about 1am, the group members reached the TV studio. At about 2am, the programme started. After Sehri break, as soon as the programme restarted, a fire erupted and engulfed the whole studio.
“When the fire erupted, the owner of the channel and his son Junaid ran away and did not try to help the people in the studio. They ran towards the upper story taking away the shoulder bag of Safeer-e-Mustafa which contained a huge money and three precious cell phones,” the victim alleged.
He added that that while leaving the studio, Junaid locked the room from outside to save his life and left the remaining people in the room to be burnt. When the rescuers arrived, the room was locked. He is of the view that if the studio owners had not locked the studio door, these casualties would not have happened.
Following the incident, the Race Course police has registered an FIR No. 407/12 Under Section 302/34-427 of PPC and arrested the owner of the channel. But his son, Junaid, who allegedly planned the act has not been arrested yet. Mr Mahmood pretended to be ill and has been hospitalised. However, sources said that he was no ill.
He regretted that the Punjab chief minister had not so far visited the home of any of the deceased persons.
He demanded a strict legal action against the persons behind this “plot”. Besides, Dr Tahirul Qadri, the Chairman of Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran, MNA Sardar Talib Nakai, MPAs Shaikh Alauddin, Sardar Asif Nkai and other political and social figures of the area have condoled the family over the precious loss and demanded immediate legal action against the perpetrators.