Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has condemned the Lahore manhole incident as equivalent to murder, ordering the arrest of four officials, including the project director, and the dismissal of two others from their jobs.

During a high-level meeting in Lahore on the tragedy, chaired by Maryam Nawaz, officials gave her a detailed briefing on the incident. The Chief Minister reprimanded the local authorities, stating that the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), NESPAK, and the contractor all displayed gross negligence.

“Construction work in Lahore is meant to enhance the city’s beauty, not to take lives,” she said. She added that the Lahore Commissioner was equally responsible for the incident and accused authorities of attempting to cover it up, describing the negligence at every stage as criminal.

She criticized the mishandling of the victim family, saying that a woman and her daughter fell into the manhole, yet the husband was wrongly detained instead of providing support to the family. “Keeping the husband in police custody and mistreating him is unacceptable. I, along with others, hold responsibility for ensuring justice. The responsible officers must face strict action and should not be rehired anywhere,” she said.

The Chief Minister also revealed that CCTV footage was available until 7:30 pm and that rescue was called only two minutes after the incident, yet officials had abandoned the site and left the manhole uncovered. She questioned whether those responsible had no children of their own and noted that the Safe City head was unaware of the incident until she made a call.

Maryam Nawaz directed the contractor to pay Rs10 million to the affected family and instructed the administration to provide them with a vehicle.

Following the recovery of the mother and daughter’s bodies, the entire project team was suspended. Three suspects have been arrested after an FIR was registered, and the bodies were handed over to their heirs after postmortem.

The FIR, lodged by Saadia’s father Sajid, names Project Manager Asghar Sindhu, Safety Incharge Daniyal, Site Incharge, and an individual named Nawaz as accused under Section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to the report, the suspects left the manhole open due to negligence and carelessness.

The incident exposed severe administrative and police negligence in Lahore, with authorities initially dismissing the event as false news. Both WASA and the rescue teams denied involvement at first, and statements were repeatedly changed.

Efforts were made to suppress the matter, and those reporting it, including the husband and two brothers of the victim, were held in custody for six hours until the mother and daughter’s bodies were recovered.