KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf demanded a judicial inquiry into the Seaview tragedy in order to fix responsibility and take necessary measures to avoid such incidents in future.

Besides the provincial government, the party also held the Clifton Cantonment Board, Karachi Port Trust and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation responsible for the tragic death of over 40 people who drowned in the sea during the Eid holidays.

Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Friday, PTI leaders MNA Dr Arif Alvi and MPAs Syed Hafeezuddin, Khurram Sherzaman, Samar Ali Khan and Dr Seema Zia criticised the Sindh government and other departments for failing to take protective measures despite knowing the fact that every year a number of people lost their lives to high tides in the months of June and July.

Also read: 23 die in Karachi Eid beach tragedy

They also called upon the government and other relevant departments to take necessary measures, including deputing lifeguards every 100 yards on the beach, encircling danger zones with ropes and imposing a ban on swimming under Section 144 of the criminal procedure code.

Responding to a question, Dr Alvi alleged that the government had issued a backdated notification to ban swimming to cover up its negligence.

He said it appeared as if there was no one to own Karachi where poor people were being killed on a daily basis either by firing or were dying by drowning. “Karachi is no more a city for the poor to live,” he added.

In reply to another question, Dr Alvi said the army had been called out in a peaceful city like Islamabad for Aug 14 despite the fact that the PTI had given the assurance that its rally would remain peaceful. However, in Karachi the authorities were presenting lame excuses that there was not enough police to stop people from visiting the beaches, he said.

He also demanded that, besides holding a judicial probe, the government pay Rs2 million as compensation to the victims’ heirs.

Mr Hafeezuddin said there should be protective net along the danger zone at Seaview so that people going for swimming could be protected.

Khurram Sherzaman said that the Clifton area fell in his constituency and he remained there all night on the second day of Eid.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2014