THIS is apropos your editorial ‘Fire tragedy’ (May 19). Whereas the media, both print and electronic, has reported on the matter extensively and the tragedy is indeed heartbreaking where six lives were lost, much attention has been given to the inefficiency of the functionaries such as Rescue 1122 and the fire brigade.

Inquiry committees have been formed and, at least from the frenzy of the media, it seems this is the most important issue Pakistan is facing today and that a solution must be found, once and for all, as if previously such investigations yielded results and things were put on the right track.

This inquiry will neither reveal anything worthwhile nor will it fix blames on someone or some institutions. I say this because we routinely grab the entangled rope from the wrong end and keep trying the disentangle it, the result being greater entanglement.

The problem lies in our attitude as a nation of ‘point-scoring’. Let’s take on those who could have saved the situation. So here goes the blame game. Blame it on Rescue 1122. If informed, they were not directly concerned with fire-fighting. Then grab the poor, godforsaken fire-brigade — one of the most neglected and most ill-equipped and ill-trained departments.

The idea is not to absolve these institutions of negligence, if at all. It is to identify where the fault lies. For one thing, even if the fire brigade in question was guilty of inefficiency, how can we put full responsibility on them and not hold the government responsible for the situation due to lack of funding and equipping the fire-fighting system.

How can we absolve the local authorities responsible for ensuring appropriate fire exits and fire escapes in residential architecture?

A. Siddiqi

Lahore

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2015

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