LAHORE: A man on Tuesday set himself on fire at the Lahore High Court in protest against, what he said, the delay in provision of ‘justice’.

According to an eyewitness, the man, later identified as Asif Javed, walked out of the courtroom of Justice Shujaat Ali Khan and as soon as he reached an open area, he poured petrol on himself, took out a lighter, and set himself ablaze.

While engulfed in flames, Asif kept shouting that he was not getting justice and that he wanted justice.

People present on the scene threw water on Asif and covered him with a shawl.

Meanwhile, a police official used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames and Rescue 1122 staff also arrived there and provided medical aid to Asif, who was shifted to hospital, where his condition was stated to be out of danger.

As per Rescue 1122, Asif was a union leader at Kabirwala-based plant of a multinational food and beverage company. He was sacked in 2015, along with some other employees, allegedly due to his union activities.

The sacked workers moved a labour court and the National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC), which ordered their reinstatement, along with the payment of their dues.

However, the company challenged the NIRC’s decision in the Lahore High Court, where the case had been pending for the last five years. Due to the delay in the court’s verdict, Asif became disheartened and resorted to this extreme act.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2025