GUJRANWALA: A teenaged son and two minor daughters of a labourer were electrocuted on the second day of Eid (Wednesday) when they touched an electricity pole.

After the incident, the family blocked GT Road for one and a half hours.

On Thursday, the Gujranwala Electric Power Company suspended from service an SDO, a line superintendent and a lineman for negligence while police also registered a case against the officials.

Reports said labourer Zaheer’s 14-year-old son Qasim, and daughters Kainat, 9, and Nena, 7, of Shahbaz Colony visited their aunt’s house on Wednesday. The children came out of the house for playing. Suddenly they touched an electricity pole and were electrocuted.

Later, the family put bodies on the bridge of Upper Chenab Canal on GT Road and blocked traffic. The protest continued for one and a half hours.

City Police Officer Waqas Nazir and SP Civil Lines Zeeshan Siddique negotiated with the family and managed dispersal of the people by assuring them that the responsible officials would be arrested at the earliest.

Gujranwala Saddar police have registered a case against Khiyali SDO Malik Saeed, Line Superintendent Babar Rashid and Lineman Muhammad Rashid under Section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code on an application of the father of the deceased; however no arrests were made so far.

Gepco Chief Executive Muneer Ahmad Mian has formed an inquiry team comprising Chief Engineer Zahoor Ahmad Chohan, Manager I&S Tanveerur Rehman and Deputy Manager (Safety) Ramzan Aalam and sought a report.

He has appealed to the people to adopt protective measures to avoid untoward incidents during rainy season.

Commissioner Shumail Ahmad Khwaja also took notice of the incident and sought a report from District Coordination Officer Azmat Mahmood and Gepco Chief Muneer Ahmad Mian.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2014