A man who self-immolated on Tuesday at the Lahore High Court in protest against a delay in justice died in a hospital on Friday, his family confirmed.
On Tuesday, eyewitnesses saw the man, identified as Asif Javed, walk out of Justice Shujaat Ali Khan’s courtroom. As soon as Javed reached an open area, he poured petrol on himself, took out a lighter, and set himself ablaze.
While engulfed in flames, Javed kept shouting that he was not getting justice and that he wanted justice. People present at the scene threw water on Javed and covered him with a shawl.
A police official used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. Rescue 1122 staff also arrived at the scene and provided medical aid to Asif, who was shifted to Mayo Hospital, where his condition was stated to be out of danger.
Javed’s brother confirmed to Dawn.com on Friday that he had died at the hospital.
As per Rescue 1122, Asif was a union leader at a 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.
