LAHORE: A man who had set himself on fire on the Lahore High Court premises on Wednesday in protest against, what he said, delay in provision of justice, succumbed to his burns at Mayo Hospital on Friday.

The man, who was later identified as Asif Javed, was shifted to the hospital by the Rescue 1122 personnel.

As per eyewitnesses, Asif 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.

A police official put out the blaze using a fire extinguisher, while Rescue 1122 staff arriving there provided medical aid to Asif before shifting him to the hospital.

The inspector general of police had taken notice of the incident and suspended the DSP responsible for the security of the LHC for showing negligence.

As per police, 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 the extreme act.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2025